Masiello appreciative of his latest NCAA Tournament experience

While his path to NCAA Tournament may not have been traditional, Steve Masiello (second from right) is grateful for opportunity to take part in March Madness on Rick Pitino’s staff at Iona, enjoying chance to share in it as Gaels assistant. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

ALBANY, N.Y. — Steve Masiello has been to 13 other NCAA Tournaments in his career as either a player, assistant coach, or head coach.

His 14th foray into March Madness may not be the sweetest taste of success the 45-year-old has been a part of, but it may very well be the most circuitous road he has traveled to get there.

Going into the season, Masiello was expected to contend for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship for the third time in his career, as his Manhattan College team was picked second in the preseason behind a senior-laden roster boasting Player of the Year favorite Jose Perez. That changed on October 25, when he was suddenly and shockingly relieved of his duties as head coach of the Jaspers less than two weeks before opening what would have been his 12th season at the helm. Days later, he resurfaced just 15 minutes to the northeast of his former perch, landing as director of operations at Iona alongside his mentor, Rick Pitino, and now accompanies the Gaels to the dance floor for Friday’s first-round matchup with UConn.

But while this March could be looked at as a tale of redemption for Masiello, he personally would not consider it so. Instead, as he participates in March Madness for the first time since 2015, he opted to bask in the significance of a new phase in his career with a new basketball family that welcomed him with open arms.

“Every one has a different meaning for me,” he said Thursday. “Obviously, anytime you can be in this many tournaments, it’s a credit to the people around you and the organizations you’ve been around, so I’m very thankful for the opportunity to be here. Every one of these is a different chapter, a different story, so I’m just enjoying this. I’m enjoying this ride with Coach and these players and this organization, representing Iona. It’s really terrific.”

The timing of his departure at Manhattan and subsequent arrival at Iona gave off a somewhat turbulent feel given the close proximity to the start of the season. However, the potential turbulence was barely felt by Masiello, who credited Pitino for extending the offer to assist him as not just a benefit of keeping him active in the college basketball landscape, but also as a way of healing any supposed breach that prevented any hard feelings from being harbored.

“It’s business as usual for me,” Masiello said of how the season has gone for him. “You don’t have time to sit here, and I thank Coach for that, because had I been sitting home on the couch, it probably would have been a whirlwind. But this is business as usual. You’re back in your routine, you’re working, you’re preparing, you’re doing things to help the organization win, help players and coaches be better.”

“So for me, it’s business as usual and I’m thankful I didn’t have a lot of time to sit here and be bitter or be angry, or hold grudges or resentments. For me, it’s all about moving forward in the future. There’s great things ahead for me and Iona and Coach Pitino, and I’m really excited about all of them.”

Masiello is certainly more than capable of returning to the sidelines as a head coach if the opportunity presents itself, but a sense of calmness and patience now peppers his outlook as his reunion with Pitino has afforded him a renewed perspective in a capacity that is akin to going back to school, in essence.

“That’s a great thing, and it is,” Masiello said of the ability to once again glean a continued education from Pitino. “When I left Coach, there were certain things that I took from him that I’m not saying I forgot, but maybe you get away from. This year has brought me back to a foundation into my roots of who I am, and reminded me a lot of things about myself that maybe some people try to change about you or devalue. Coach Pitino has brought that value back to me and reinstilled those core philosophies in me that I’ll never forget.”

As Iona prepares for its clash with UConn, it does so with not only a Hall of Fame head coach with a pair of national championships in his pocket, but also an assistant coach in Masiello with a title of his own, which he won as a sophomore at Kentucky in 1998. Having someone with a pedigree of success is always valuable no matter the level, and for Masiello, the ability to retell his own stories as his own path unfolds down a different road has been indispensable no matter the result.

“It’s really special,” he said in equal tones humble and reverent. “Anytime you can share some of the things that you’ve been through and some of the things you’ve experienced, and you can let these guys go through it firsthand makes it really special. This year’s been special with the bonds and relationships, and I’m looking forward to keeping it going.”