Former-and-current Manhattan coach Steve Masiello has completed his degree at the University of Kentucky, according to ESPN. Masiello’s official “graduation” from Kentucky comes after one of the strangest coach hiring scandals in college basketball history, when Masiello took the job at South Florida, only to have the Bulls pull the offer after they found out he hadn’t actually graduated.
Manhattan’s Steve Masiello reportedly gets degree
Masiello was denied from the job at South Florida because he never finished his degree as a student at Kentucky.
Kevin C. Cox
Masiello played at Kentucky from 1996 to 2000 but never officially graduated, according to the report. Both Manhattan and Louisville, where Masiello was an assistant coach, listed him as a Kentucky graduate on their official websites.
Manhattan, where Masiello worked before taking the South Florida job, had no idea that its coach hadn’t completed his degree. However, apparently Masiello didn’t know, either, and he only discovered it after the offer was pulled. College degrees are typically not requirements for coaches, but coaches do generally have degrees. A similar instance happened last year with new Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan, who was discovered to not have a degree from the school after he was hired. He finished his course work over the summer.
But since Masiello didn’t know he hadn’t completed his degree, Manhattan decided it would bring him back to coach the Jaspers’ basketball team.
"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," Manhattan president Brennan O'Donnell said in a statement released by the school."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."
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