Dick Vitale Rips Manhattan for Firing Steve Masiello Weeks Before Season

Manhattan’s Steve Masiello was fired earlier this week, less than two weeks before the season opener against VCU, sources told The New York Times‘ Adam Zagoria on Tuesday. The school made the firing official on Tuesday afternoon.

Masiello was entering the final year of his contract and had a “shaky” relationship with athletic director Marianne Reilly. RaShawn Stores, an assistant coach and former player under Masiello at Manhattan, was named interim coach.

An additional report from Zagoria suggested that players could leave the program in the wake of Masiello’s abrupt firing. A source told Zagoria that “Those [players] loved him.”

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale was critical of the school’s decision to fire Masiello.

“Firing Steve Masiello over contract issues about the future is SHOCKING & WACKY,” Vitale’s tweet read. “They had a chance for a strong year. Now his superstar is entering the transfer portal.”

The star player that Vitale is alluding to is fifth-year senior forward Jose Perez, who was picked as preseason conference player of the year in the MAAC. Perez told The New York Post that he would enter the transfer portal.

The Jaspers were picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason, which is surely to change now that Manhattan will be without their star player and coach for the upcoming season.

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