Breaking: Steve Masiello Out As Manhattan College Head Coach

Steve Masiello No Longer Jaspers Coach

Steve Masiello has been fired! Two weeks before his twelfth season at the helm, the Jaspers head coach is reportedly out of his post at head coach. Jeff Borzello of ESPN was first on the story. While he only had a year remaining on his deal, there is much to be discussed as to why the College’s administration chose now to remove him. Manhattan standout and MAAC player of the year Jose Perez was one of the first to weigh in on the news:

This has been a very tough day for me and honestly speaking coach was the most caring person I ever met he cared so much for his players and honestly speaking it would very difficult for me to put on a jasper’s uniform again if coach ain’t on those sidelines. Love you coach!

— Jose Perez (@showout_zayy0) October 25, 2022

Masiello is now a free agent on the verge of the NCAA season starting. While it remains to be seen what his next chapter will be, it is definitely a shocking move. The Bronx and Westchester communities are very familiar of Masiello and his history. After getting off to a hot start in Riverdale, Masiello appeared to be on the move. He was on the verge of moving to the University of South Florida in 2014. However, it was found that he never completed college. After being put on leave, he returned to the Bronx. He is also known for being an assistant for Rick Pitino at Louisville. Furthermore, he was a strong recruiter for the Jaspers, with Jose Perez being one of his biggest adds.

What Comes Next?

Under Masiello, Perez established himself as one of the best players in recent history for Manhattan. He averaged 18.9 points and 4.5 assists per game en route to the 2022 MAAC player of the year. Also the MAAC preseason player of the year, many assumed that Perez and the Jaspers had big aspirations ahead of them. However, the departure of Masiello could end up being catastrophic. At the very least, everyone needs to wait until more details to come out. RaShawn Stores, a former player under Masiello, is expected to take over as the interim coach. However, Stores could be in for a massive workload with both Masiello and potentially Perez out of the door. While not nearly as high a profile as other coaches in limbo across the country, this move could potentially be seismic for the MAAC as a whole along with Manhattan College.