In a statement to the media this afternoon, Manhattan announced its decision to fire head coach Steve Masiello following 11 seasons at the helm of the Jaspers men’s basketball program.
Since joining the staff in 2011, Masiello had amassed just two MAAC Conference Tournament Championships in 2014 and 2015 for two NCAA Tournament appearances finishing with an overall record of 162-177 and producing a winning season in just three of his eleven campaigns in charge.
Although the former Rick Pitino assistant may not bolster the best resume, entering the final year of his contract at Manhattan and with the 2022/23 season just two weeks away the decision to fire Masiello comes as a shock to fans, media, and fellow coaches alike.
However, nobody was caught off guard quite as much as the 2022/23 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Jose Perez who arrived at Manhattan following two seasons at Gardner-Webb and another at Marquette before going on to average 18.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 4.5 APG last season earning an All-Conference selection for the Jaspers.
As first reported by Adam Zagoria, Perez has officially opted to enter the transfer portal prior to the 2022/23 season and in the wake of Masiello’s dismissal with the hopes of using his final season of eligibility outside the Draddy Gymnasium. Additionally, The Bronx native speculated that many of his teammates won’t be far behind following this preseason uncertainty with double-digit seniors currently on this Manhattan roster and Zagoria further reporting that as many as 6-7 players could leave in this falling out.
While the dust continues to settle around the situation, Perez remains the only Jasper to have officially entered the transfer portal and according to Jon Rothstein is already receiving major interest from Oregon just minutes after entering.
