ORLANDO, Fla. — Manhattan was on the verge of a monumental upset and Steve Masiello was the hottest name in college basketball.
After his 13th-seeded Jaspers nearly defeated No. 4 Louisville with a well-executed and well-prepared defensive effort in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, countless conversations centered around the same question: how long the third-year coach would stay at mid-major Manhattan.
But Masiello, 36, isn’t planning on leaving his native New York anytime soon.
“I feel very confident that I will be back at Manhattan College as the coach and I look forward to working with a great group of young men that are returning,” Masiello told The Post on Friday. “This is where I want to be. I want to be in New York. I want to be with these kids. I’m really excited about the future of this program.”
Masiello, who has two years remaining on a five-year contract he signed upon taking his first head-coaching position in 2011, said he has had informal extension talks with the school, but he didn’t want to get involved in negotiations while the season was going on. He plans on meeting with the school next week to go over the details of a new deal.
New Manhattan athletic director Noah LeFevre didn’t want to discuss the specifics of an extension, but said he doesn’t anticipate a problem in the two sides reaching an agreement.
“I’m not just confident because I’m confident. I’m confident because we’re dedicated in doing everything that we can to have him be a member of the Manhattan community for many years to come,” LeFevre said. “I fully anticipate coach being our coach well into the future, meaning beyond his existing contract.”
After six seasons as an assistant at Louisville, Masiello inherited a team which had only won six games, and a program which had four losing seasons over its previous five years.
In his first season, Masiello led the biggest turnaround in Division I, winning 21 games, then took the Jaspers to the MAAC championship game in his second season. In reaching its first NCAA Tournament in 10 years this season, Manhattan finished with 25 wins, tied for the second-most in school history.
Though bigger schools could be calling, Masiello believes the Jaspers will soon be annually referred to as one of the best mid-major programs in the country.
“I don’t see there being a ceiling to this job,” said Masiello. “I think, where we are right now, in the next four years, we could get to two Sweet 16’s. That’s how I feel. We’re right there. We’re on the cusp.”
Less than 15 hours after the devastating loss, Masiello was still extremely disappointed with losing a game he feels his team could have won, but he isn’t going to let it overshadow an unforgettable season.
“I think we should still be playing, but I can’t let this take away from a fabulous year,” said Masiello. “You worked too hard, the kids did so much. … You’ve got to celebrate what they’ve accomplished.”