On
March 26, Manhattan College put Steve Masiello on leave for falsifying his
resume. On his resume he claimed graduating from the University of Kentucky in
2000. The University of South Florida discovered Masiello with a falsified
resume when extending an offer to the Manhattan College coach. Masiello led the
Manhattan Jaspers to a 25-8 overall record and a second round elimination of
the University of Louisville in the 2014 NCAA Basketball Tournament. According
to Maseillo’s bio, he was a student at Kentucky from 1996-2000. He listed his
degree as a Bachelor of Arts in communication. However, according to The UK
Office of public relations, Masiello never earned his degree from Kentucky. Due
to the new findings, South Florida rescinded his contract offer because the
university’s policy states, “all full-time coaching hires must have a
bachelor’s degree” according to an article released by The Tampa Tribune. Manhattan
College released a statement according to NCAA.com “Masiello is currently in
the process of reviewing his degree status with the University of Kentucky.” Masiello
is placed on leave until the situation is resolved.
Masiello
should release a statement apologizing for his actions and stating he will take
the necessary precautions to resolve the crisis and earn his degree. He may
need to finish his collegiate degree by enrolling in classes and putting his
coaching job on hold until he is done. University of South Florida should issue
a statement saying the university is willing to help Masiello through the
process of earning his degree, so it can complete the hire. Manhattan College
needs take the same actions as South Florida, so it can keep its rising young
coach and produce more NCAA Tournament seasons. Masiello is one of the top
rising coaches in the country. His mentor, Rick Pitino, who had Masiello as an
assistant at Louisville, believes Masiello has a bright coaching future ahead.
Story
sources: (http://tbo.com/sports/colleges/usf-bulls/usf-deal-with-coach-falls-through-20140326/)
(http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2014-03-27/steve-masiello-leave-manhattan-degree-status-reviewed)
On
March 18, Washington State University fired Men’s Head Basketball coach Ken Bone
after five seasons. WSU Athletic Director Bill Moos informed Bone that he
needed to make a change. “I appreciate what Ken has done for Cougar Basketball.
But at this point we need to revitalize our fan base, particularly our student
body, and position this program to compete for championships.” Bone was fired
with two years left on his seven-year contract that includes a $1.7 million
buyout. During Bone’s tenure, the Cougars went 80-86 overall including an 11th
place finish in the PAC-12 standings with a 10-21 overall record this past year.
“People are disappointed in me? I bet I’m more disappointed than they are. I’m
not content with mediocrity,” said Bone according to cbssports.com.
Moos
fired Bone due to the lack of attendance because WSU failed to produce winning
basketball seasons. Cougar hoops needs a new shot of energy, especially since
the Cougs have experienced winning success in 2008 with a trip to the Sweet
Sixteen under former head coach Tony Bennett. Bennett left the program in 2009
to accept the vacant head coaching position at the University of Virginia. Bone
replaced Bennett in 2009 only to be fired in March of 2014. On March 31, Moos
announced the hiring of Ernie Kent as the new coach. Kent has 19 years of head
coaching experience including 13 years at his Alma matter the University of
Oregon, where Moos held the athletic director position. Kent led Oregon to five
NCAA Tournament appearances including two elite eight appearances. “I have
witnessed firsthand his many talents. He has proven that he can win championships
in our conference,” said Bill Moos according to wsucougars.com. With 235-174
record at Oregon, Kent won the PAC-10 conference in 2002 and two PAC-10
conference tournament titles in 2003 and 2007. Kent currently has the most
amount of victories as a head basketball coach at Oregon. “Ernie Kent comes to
WSU with sterling credentials and the necessary skill set to take the
basketball program to higher levels of achievement,” said former Washington
State head basketball coach George Raveling according to wsucougars.com.
This
is a great hire that pumps new energy into the cougar fan base. Kent
experienced tremendous success at Oregon with multiple trips to the NCAA
tournament and conference championships. Kent is exactly the coach Washington
State needs to turn around the basketball program; he already proved his
capability with his results at Oregon. “Getting back into coaching for me has
meant finding the right program that matches up with my passion, my vision, my
beliefs and my commitment; and I feel Washington State University fits all that
criteria for me,” said Kent according to wsucougars.com. Not only is this a
great hire to produce winnings seasons but also from an academic perspective
this is a homerun hire. “Under Kent’s direction, the Ducks men’s basketball
team ranked No.1 amongst PAC-10 schools in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate
several times throughout his head coaching career,” according to wsucougars.com.
Story sources: (http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24490368/report-ken-bone-out-at-washington-state) (http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30400&ATCLID=209449455)
On
March 27, Washington State University baseball coach Donnie Marbut was in a car
accident. WSU Murrow Cable eight student Brenna Kelly reported the accident.
The accident occurred just before the baseball game against San Jose State
University. Marbut was taken to the Pullman Regional Hospital before being
released that same night according to The Seattle Times. The Times said various
reports indicate, “the accident happened 30 minutes before the game and
involved three cars at the main intersection leading into the WSU campus.
Marbut reportedly was dressed in his Cougars uniform.” The Spokesman Review stated,
“police say that Marbut showed no signs of intoxication.” Following these
reports, WSU released a statement acknowledging the accident and further
stating the absence of Marbut from his baseball duties. According to a twit
from CougCenter, Athletic Director, Bill Moos acknowledged on Cougar Calls on
March 31 “Donnie Marbut had a medical condition that led to his car accident.”
Washington
State University has done a good job with Marbut’s situation by acknowledging
in a statement the accident’s occurrence. However, WSU should issue another
statement saying that the university is looking into the situation and will
take the appropriate actions as necessary when all information becomes
available. Marbut has yet to formally speak about the issue and therefore
should issue a statement regarding his actions and is willing to work with the
university and legal officials to get everything straightened out.
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