One local coach’s loss is another’s gain.
Less than a week after South Florida’s deal with Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello fell apart, the AAC school has hired Bronx product Orlando Antigua, the school announced Monday afternoon.
The Kentucky assistant coach and top-notch recruiter will replace Stan Heath, who was fired April 14 after seven seasons. A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday. ESPN reported Antigua received a five-year deal.
Antigua has been on John Calipari’s staff at Kentucky since 2009 and was with him at Memphis the previous season. He also coached the Dominican Republic men’s national team last summer and was an assistant at Pittsburgh, his alma mater, for five years before joining Calipari at Memphis.
Antigua is expected to remain with Kentucky through the Final Four. Antigua starred in high school at St. Raymond in The Bronx, where he was a McDonald’s All-American.
South Florida had a deal done with Masiello before discovering he didn’t have an undergraduate degree from Kentucky, as was stated on his résumé. Masiello has since been placed on leave at Manhattan.
It will be interesting to see whether Antigua’s younger brother, Seton Hall assistant coach Oliver Antigua, joins him at South Florida.
Seton Hall needs to make room on its staff for Lincoln High School coach Tiny Morton, who The Post reported in September would be headed to the New Jersey school with Isaiah Whitehead, his All-American shooting guard and the focal point of the Pirates’ top-10 recruiting class.