Steve Masiello - Men's Basketball Coach - St. John's University Athletics

Steve Masiello

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
masiells@stjohns.edu
Phone:
5885

Steve Masiello was named associate head coach in April 2023, bringing more than two decades of Division I coaching experience to the St. John’s men’s basketball program.

In just three seasons with St. John’s, Masiello has played a crucial role in returning the Red Storm to positions of prominence in the BIG EAST and on the national stage. The Johnnies have gone 81-25 with Masiello on staff, including two outright BIG EAST Regular Season titles, two BIG EAST Tournament crowns, two NCAA Tournament berths and the Red Storm’s first trip to the Sweet 16 in 27 years. Over the past two seasons, St. John’s is 36-4 in regular season BIG EAST contests.

This past season, the Red Storm reached the 30-win plateau for the second straight year, going 30-7 with an 18-2 mark in BIG EAST play. The Johnnies became the first program in the history of the BIG EAST Conference to win an outright regular season title and a conference tournament championship in back-to-back campaigns. The Red Storm rolled through the BIG EAST Tournament, never trailing and winning all three of its games by at least 10 points. The Johnnies received a no. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and outlasted Northern Iowa and Kansas in San Diego to advance to the second weekend for the first time since 1999. St. John’s closed the season by winning 21 of its final 23 games, falling only to No. 6 UConn in Hartford and Duke, the tournament’s top overall seed, in the Sweet 16. Zuby Ejiofor was unanimously selected as the BIG EAST Player of the Year in addition to winning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year accolades.

In 2024-25, the Red Storm matched the program’s single-season wins record by going 31-5. After winning the program’s first outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship since 1985, the Red Storm took home the program’s first BIG EAST Tournament crown since 2000. The Johnnies won all three of their BIG EAST Tournament games by at least 16 points. In addition to his longtime mentor Rick Pitino winning BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors, Masiello saw two other Johnnies claim major conference awards in 2025, as RJ Luis Jr. was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and Ejiofor took home Most Improved Player accolades. Luis was a consensus Second Team All-American, the program’s first since Malik Sealy in 1992.

As a follow-up to the Red Storm’s historic season, Masiello helped recruit the nation’s top transfer class in the summer of 2025.

Masiello spent 11 seasons as head coach at Manhattan College from 2011-22, leading the Jaspers to back-to-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Before arriving in Queens, the White Plains, N.Y., native served on Pitino’s staff at Iona University in 2022-23, as he helped lead the Gaels to the 2023 MAAC regular season and tournament championships and earn a no. 13 seed in the Big Dance.

A former assistant coach at Louisville, Masiello spent six seasons under Pitino, helping the Cardinals to a 148-61 (.708) overall record, six-straight 20-win seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances. The Cardinals advanced to the Elite Eight twice in 2008 and 2009. Masiello played a vital role in building Louisville’s 2009 BIG EAST Championship team, which won 31 games including a program record 16 in league play and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

As head coach at Manhattan, Masiello led the Jaspers to 162 wins, the third-most in program history. He set a school record with 11 MAAC Tournament victories and made three-straight trips to the conference’s tournament final, winning it all in 2014 and 2015.

Masiello mentored 16 All-MAAC performers, seven MAAC Major Award winners, four MAAC All-Rookie Team selections, 17 MAAC All-Academic performers and seven 1,000-point scorers. He twice garnered Coach of the Year honors from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA).

In his first season at Manhattan, the Jaspers enjoyed the biggest turnaround in Division I, posting 21 victories in 2011-12, a 15-win improvement from the previous season. The following year, Masiello guided Manhattan to the MAAC championship game for the first time in nine seasons. In 2013-14, the Jaspers matched a program record with 25 wins and earned a no. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Manhattan made its second-straight run to the MAAC title in 2014-15. During its back-to-back championship seasons, Masiello posted a 44-22 (.667) overall record, including a 28-12 (.700) league mark.

Before going to Louisville, Masiello had served as an assistant coach at Manhattan from 2001-2005. He helped lead the Jaspers to three postseason appearances in four years, earning a bid to the 2002 NIT before capturing a pair of MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2004. Masiello helped guide Manhattan to one of the finest wins in program history when the Jaspers upset Florida in the First Round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Jaspers posted an 83-36 (.697) record during his time as an assistant.

Prior to Manhattan, Masiello served as the administrative assistant at Tulane from 2000-01.

A four-year member of the Kentucky men’s basketball team, Masiello played under head coaches Pitino (1996-97) and Tubby Smith (1997-2000). During his playing career, Kentucky made two trips to the Final Four in 1997 and 1998, advancing to the National Championship game both times and winning the title in 1998. Masiello was named the Wildcats’ co-captain his senior year.

A local product, Masiello attended Archbishop Stepinac High School before completing his final two years at The Harvey School in Katonah, N.Y., where he helped the basketball program to a New England Prep School Athletic Association Championship.

Masiello is married to his wife, Andrea. He is the proud father of a daughter, Piper.