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Manhattan will keep Masiello after he graduates
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Manhattan College announced on Monday that it has decided to keep coach Steve Masiello, but with one stipulation: He must complete his undergraduate degree.
Masiello will be on unpaid leave until he completes his undergraduate degree at Kentucky, according to Manhattan’s statement.
Associate head coach Matt Grady will serve as the Jaspers’ interim head coach while Masiello is absence.
“I am extremely grateful and humbled by the opportunity to continue as the head men’s basketball coach at Manhattan College,” Masiello said in the statement. “I made a mistake that could have cost me my job at an institution I love. Details matter.
“Manhattan College has shown me a great deal of compassion and trust during this process, and I will do everything in my power to uphold that trust. I understand that I am very fortunate to have the chance to remain here at Manhattan.”
Masiello is about 10 credits short of his degree and hopes to obtain his degree within a few months, according to ESPN.com.
Masiello, 36, led the Jaspers to the NCAA tournament this season, then agreed to a deal to become South Florida’s head coach. But a background check indicated Masiello did not have a degree from Kentucky as he claimed in his resume. As a result, he was denied the position at South Florida and tried to return to his position at Manhattan.
“After an extensive review of the situation and extenuating circumstances, we determined that Mr. Masiello executed poor judgment but did not intentionally misrepresent himself in applying to the college. After participating in graduation ceremonies at the University of Kentucky, he enrolled in summer courses with the intention of completing his degree, but never followed through to make sure that the degree was awarded,” Manhattan president Brennan O’Donnell said in the statement.
