Masiello says degree scandal brought him closer to team

Steve Masiello’s plight made national headlines this spring after his falsified resume cost him a $1-million-per-year job at the University of South Florida and put his spot at Manhattan College at risk, too.

But since then, things have been on an upward swing, Masiello told The Press in a recent interview.

He completed his degree from the University of Kentucky in late May, said he became closer with his team through his challenges and the Jaspers, despite the negative press, actually gained a bit more fame in the college basketball world.

That attention helped Manhattan secure a high-profile non-conference schedule for the 2014-15 season that includes three games against power conference teams — Florida State and Pittsburgh of the ACC, along with Rutgers of the Big 10 — and games at Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center and Mohegan Sun Arena. The season tips off against the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Florida, on Nov. 15.

“It’s the old adage: If you survive it, there’s no such thing as bad publicity,” Masiello said. “For good, bad or indifferent, people know who Manhattan is and they know who their coach is. You have a window where people are going to be watching. That’s a big thing for us.”

The coach said he did not need to mend fences with the players he was close to abandoning for a new program, because they never left his side.

“The word ‘family’ is thrown around a lot, but it’s a genuine thing here,” he said. “We’ve won together, we’ve lost together, we’ve cried together. We’ve seen so many aspects of life, and my guys have never wavered on me.

“What happens when you go through adversity is you tend to get closer, you bond together. The relationship from my end never varied; nothing will come between me and my players. These guys are just a special group,” he added.