Bond between Masiello and Stewart driving latest Manhattan resurgence

Samir Stewart is driving Manhattan's offense, and has earned Steve Masiello’s trust in the process, quicker than any other Jasper in his tenure. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK — The enduring legacy of any coach, let alone one at the collegiate level, is to not only develop his or her players, but more importantly, to build relationships with them on and off the field of play that endure the test of time.

Fail to connect with your players, and your tenure as coach is almost certainly bound to be short-lived. But if one strikes the balance between teacher and role model, the impact he or she has on a young person’s life will mean more than any win or loss ever could. Ask Steve Masiello just how valuable the relationship aspect of coaching can be.

Masiello has always preached a bigger-than-basketball approach through his nine years at Manhattan College, a period of time that has seen highs in the form of two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships and lows of a 48-78 record over the past four seasons. However, the closeness inside the walls of the Jaspers’ locker room is undeniable. Many of Masiello’s former players still frequent Draddy Gymnasium to take in a game at their alma mater, and two four-year stalwart guards — RaShawn Stores and Tyler Wilson — have moved into positions on the coaching staff. Put simply, the uniform may be put away, but life in the program is eternal. And of all the intimate bonds Masiello has built over the past decade, his relationship with sophomore point guard Samir Stewart might already be his most treasured.

“I believe in the trust with the coaching staff, trust with the players,” Stewart said Thursday, after Manhattan defeated Quinnipiac for its fourth win in five games. “We’ve all gotten to know each other better off the court and on the court, and it’s shown.”

“The bond is incredible, I’m not going to lie. It’s way better than last year. The freshmen and the coaches, they always bump heads, but I’m a sophomore now, I’m a leader right now.”

Masiello praised his point guard’s precocious nature around this time last year, when a then-freshman Stewart blossomed off the bench before solidifying himself as a starter in the Manhattan lineup, eventually becoming a reliable option to direct the frenetic press offense with which the Jaspers handle business. But has the veteran coach had a leader this quick to assume the reins?

“RaShawn was a special one, Rhamel (Brown) was a special one,” Masiello recalled. “I’ve never trusted someone so young. That was the hardest thing for me to have given him, and I say it to him all the time: I say he has the keys to the engine. It’s his show.”

Stewart may not always be the leading scorer at the end of the night, but his willingness to facilitate and do whatever it takes to win through just three semesters in college has been what has endeared the Floridian to Masiello, who worked for everything he earned as both a player and coach over a 25-year career in the game.

“I think he and I spent this offseason and this fall just really working on our relationship, me being an extension of him and knowing what he’s thinking, seeing and feeling. That’s a two-way street that’s got to go both ways, and I think that’s where our growth has come.”

“That’s why whatever he says kind of goes, and I’ll make sure it’s executed. But he sees it all, he knows it, and as a sophomore, I don’t know if I’ve had that before.”