Since the transfer portal wound down earlier this summer, St. John’s was hoping to land a full-time replacement for interim general manager Tom Ostrom. Instead, they are now looking toward their top assistant to wear more than one hat.
According to Adam Zagoria, associate head coach Steve Masiello will assume general manager duties while remaining in his coaching role.
St. John’s is also looking to hire an assistant to replace Greg Youncofski, who took a position on Richard Pitino’s staff at Xavier this offseason, and they are pursuing someone with a strong connection to head coach Rick Pitino. Zagoria also reported that the Red Storm are interested in hiring current Louisville assistant Peyton Siva, who played four seasons with the Cardinals under Pitino and won a National Championship in 2013. Siva has worked on Pat Kelsey’s staff for the last two seasons, helping his alma mater reach two consecutive NCAA tournaments. It remains unclear if Siva shares mutual interest in joining the Red Storm’s staff or if the Cardinals would be willing to part ways with their star-turned-coach.
Masiello — himself, a former Louisville assistant who also mentored Siva — is entering his fourth season on Pitino’s coaching staff and will become the Red Storm’s third general manager in the calendar year.
He replaces Tom Ostrom, a longtime assistant in the sport reputed for his recruiting ability who assumed general managerial duties on an interim basis in March following Matt Abdelmassih’s dismissal from the program early this year.
Ostrom oversaw the construction of this upcoming season’s roster, which features stellar Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou and a small army of skilled international veterans such as Quinn Ellis, Babacar Sane, and Djordije Jovanovic. Last month, Rick Pitino announced on social media that Ostrom was departing his position.
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