St. John's University Athletics
Men's Basketball
Matt Abdelmassih
- Title:
- General Manager
- Email:
- abdelmam@stjohns.edu
A St. John’s alumnus and former Red Storm assistant coach, Matt Abdelmassih currently serves as the general manager of the St. John’s men’s basketball program.
In this role, Abdelmassih plays a critical role in the management of the Red Storm’s roster, assisting in identifying both high school and transfer talents to the Queens campus under the direction of Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Pitino.
Long considered to be an aficionado of transfer recruiting, Abdelmassih helped target talent for a 2024-25 roster that turned in the most memorable season by a St. John’s team in decades. After going 20-13 and narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament in year one under Pitino, the Red Storm enjoyed a massive leap forward and a return to national prominence. The 2024-25 Johnnies went 31-5, matching a program record for wins in a single season equaled only by the 1984-85 and 1985-86 teams. After winning a league-record 18 conference games and claiming the outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship for the first time in 40 years, the Red Storm rolled through the BIG EAST Tournament for the program’s first postseason conference crown since 2000. The Johnnies received a no. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round for the first time in 25 years. St. John’s climbed as high as no. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25, the program’s highest ranking since the 1990-91 season.
As a follow up to that stellar 2024-25 campaign, Abdelmassih identified the targets for the top ranked transfer class in the nation according to both ESPN and 247Sports.
Before returning to St. John’s, Abdelmassih worked as a talent manager at Octagon, a global agency specializing in sports, entertainment and culture.
From 2019-22, Abdelmassih served as an assistant coach at Nebraska under Fred Hoiberg. While in Lincoln, Abdelmassih assembled some of the best recruiting classes in Cornhusker history. His 2021 class, headlined by five-star prospect Bryce McGowens and top-100 recruit Wilhelm Breidenbach, ranked 13th nationally according to ESPN and 18th in the according to 247Sports. The class also featured Keisei Tominaga, a junior college sharpshooter who went on to score 1,000 points in three seasons at Nebraska and lead the Cornhuskers to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Abdelmassih spent four years on staff at his alma mater from 2015-19, helping the Red Storm reach the NCAA Tournament in his final season. Abdelmassih recruited five former top-100 recruits for that roster in addition to former junior college All-American LJ Figueroa. Anchoring the Red Storm that season was junior guard Shamorie Ponds, a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection who currently ranks fifth on the program’s all-time scoring list at 1,870 despite playing only three collegiate seasons. Only Malik Sealy and Chris Mullin scored more points than Shamorie Ponds at St. John’s over a three-year stretch.
Before returning to St. John’s to work on Mullin’s inaugural staff, Abdelmassih spent five years working under Hoiberg at Iowa State, the last four of which were as an assistant coach. Abdelmassih helped the Cyclones to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths over those final four seasons, including the 2014 Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden and back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles in 2014 and 2015. Iowa State won 99 games in Abdelmassih’s four years as an assistant. While in Ames, Abdelmassih recruited two of the most prolific transfers in program history: All-Americans DeAndre Kane and Royce White.
Abdelmassih spent two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2008-10, first as a basketball operations intern before being elevated to the role of basketball operations assistant.
A 2007 graduate of St. John’s, Abdelmassih was a three-year student manager under Head Coach Norm Roberts.
Abdelmassih and his wife, Kelly, are the proud parents of four children: Shea, Chance, Khai and Zola.
In this role, Abdelmassih plays a critical role in the management of the Red Storm’s roster, assisting in identifying both high school and transfer talents to the Queens campus under the direction of Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Pitino.
Long considered to be an aficionado of transfer recruiting, Abdelmassih helped target talent for a 2024-25 roster that turned in the most memorable season by a St. John’s team in decades. After going 20-13 and narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament in year one under Pitino, the Red Storm enjoyed a massive leap forward and a return to national prominence. The 2024-25 Johnnies went 31-5, matching a program record for wins in a single season equaled only by the 1984-85 and 1985-86 teams. After winning a league-record 18 conference games and claiming the outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship for the first time in 40 years, the Red Storm rolled through the BIG EAST Tournament for the program’s first postseason conference crown since 2000. The Johnnies received a no. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round for the first time in 25 years. St. John’s climbed as high as no. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25, the program’s highest ranking since the 1990-91 season.
As a follow up to that stellar 2024-25 campaign, Abdelmassih identified the targets for the top ranked transfer class in the nation according to both ESPN and 247Sports.
Before returning to St. John’s, Abdelmassih worked as a talent manager at Octagon, a global agency specializing in sports, entertainment and culture.
From 2019-22, Abdelmassih served as an assistant coach at Nebraska under Fred Hoiberg. While in Lincoln, Abdelmassih assembled some of the best recruiting classes in Cornhusker history. His 2021 class, headlined by five-star prospect Bryce McGowens and top-100 recruit Wilhelm Breidenbach, ranked 13th nationally according to ESPN and 18th in the according to 247Sports. The class also featured Keisei Tominaga, a junior college sharpshooter who went on to score 1,000 points in three seasons at Nebraska and lead the Cornhuskers to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Abdelmassih spent four years on staff at his alma mater from 2015-19, helping the Red Storm reach the NCAA Tournament in his final season. Abdelmassih recruited five former top-100 recruits for that roster in addition to former junior college All-American LJ Figueroa. Anchoring the Red Storm that season was junior guard Shamorie Ponds, a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection who currently ranks fifth on the program’s all-time scoring list at 1,870 despite playing only three collegiate seasons. Only Malik Sealy and Chris Mullin scored more points than Shamorie Ponds at St. John’s over a three-year stretch.
Before returning to St. John’s to work on Mullin’s inaugural staff, Abdelmassih spent five years working under Hoiberg at Iowa State, the last four of which were as an assistant coach. Abdelmassih helped the Cyclones to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths over those final four seasons, including the 2014 Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden and back-to-back Big 12 Tournament titles in 2014 and 2015. Iowa State won 99 games in Abdelmassih’s four years as an assistant. While in Ames, Abdelmassih recruited two of the most prolific transfers in program history: All-Americans DeAndre Kane and Royce White.
Abdelmassih spent two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2008-10, first as a basketball operations intern before being elevated to the role of basketball operations assistant.
A 2007 graduate of St. John’s, Abdelmassih was a three-year student manager under Head Coach Norm Roberts.
Abdelmassih and his wife, Kelly, are the proud parents of four children: Shea, Chance, Khai and Zola.
St. John's Madison Square Garden Scrimmage Media Availability 10.8.25
Wednesday, October 08
Open Practice Press Conference 8.5.2025
Tuesday, August 05
St. John's Basketball Adidas Launch Media Availability7.16.25
Wednesday, July 16
Coach Pitino Press Conference Yankee Stadium 6.4.2025
Wednesday, June 04
