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Report: USF nixes hire of Steve Masiello due to background check issues

Steve Masiello will not be hired as USF's new basketball coach. (Juan Salas/Icon SMI)

Steve Masiello

The University of South Florida's deal to hire Manhattan head basketball coach Steve Masiello is off, according to a report in the Tampa Tribune.

The report cites a source close to the USF basketball program that states the deal with Masiello was killed due to a "discrepancy" in his background check. No other specific details relating to that discrepancy are mentioned.

The deal to bring Masiello to USF, reported to be worth $1 million per year over five years, was thought to be all but finished. The former assistant under Rick Pitino at Louisville had already told his players that he would be accepting the USF job and had even started following some of the Bulls' players on Twitter. Now the school must restart its search, with candidates including Florida assistant John Pelphrey and Louisiana Tech head coach Mike White.

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