After missing out on the vacant South Florida coaching job because he never earned his college degree, Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello completed the requirements to receive his degree.
Masiello attended Kentucky from 1996-2000 and never officially received his degree from the university, which kept him from taking the South Florida job, because the university requires that all of its coaches need to have at least a bachelor’s degree. After this was revealed, Masiello was placed on unpaid leave from Manhattan until he received his degree. Via ESPN:
Kentucky’s Jay Blanton told ESPN.com that Masiello has completed his coursework and will be awarded a degree in August.
Masiello has been on unpaid leave from Manhattan since April — shortly after it was discovered that he had not earned his degree from Kentucky. Masiello had accepted the South Florida job, but a background check turned up that he hadn’t finished the requirements to earn his degree.
Manhattan has said it would reinstate Masiello once he completed his degree.
“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 in April. “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. We appreciate the counsel of all involved in assessing this complex situation. Our policy was always that the coach must have at least a four-year undergraduate degree. We are confident that Mr. Masiello will be able to complete his degree this summer and return soon thereafter to resume his duties.”
