Steve Masiello didn't graduate at UK, spokeswoman of university says

Steve Masiello had reached a five-year agreement with USF to take their head coaching job but the deal fell through.

According to ESPN,  Manhattan coach Steve Masiello never graduated from the University of Kentucky, as is indicated on his résumé, and his providing the false information eliminated him from getting the South Florida job. "During the search for a new men's basketball coach, an agreement in principle was reached by USF and candidate Steve Masiello," USF said in a statement released Wednesday. "The agreement was pending a verification of credentials. Through the verification process it was determined the candidate's credentials could not be substantiated and therefore he did not meet the requirements for the position."

On the Manhattan and Louisville official websites (Masiello was an assistant at Louisville from 2005 to 2011 before becoming coach at Manhattan in 2011), it is indicated that he was a 2000 graduate of Kentucky with a degree in communications.

However, Masiello did not graduate, Kentucky spokeswoman Ashley Crossen told ESPN. Masiello attended UK from the fall of 1996 to the summer of 2000 but did not earn a degree, Crossen said.

Rick Pitino, who coached Masiello as a freshman at Kentucky in 1997 and had him on staff at Louisville, said he was stunned by the news.

"If it's accurate, I'm shocked by it," said Pitino, whose team beat Manhattan in the second round of the NCAA tournament last week. "I had no idea. I left the previous year, and he was on track to graduate."