Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

Manhattan coach Steve Masiello was getting ready to leave the school for a job at South Florida, but his resume enhancement blew that opportunity, and may cost him the Manhattan job, too:

Talks broke down between Manhattan Coach Steve Masiello and South Florida late Tuesday after South Florida officials discovered an inaccuracy on his résumé, which lists him as having graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2000.
A spokesman at Kentucky said Masiello attended the college from 1996 to 2000 but did not receive a degree. His biography on Manhattan’s website said he held a degree in communications from Kentucky. The website was updated Wednesday to delete the reference to his degree.
In a statement, South Florida said that it had reached an “agreement in principle” with Masiello, but that his “credentials could not be substantiated.” University policy requires a head coach to have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Manhattan officials said in a written statement that Masiello had been put on leave while “reviewing his degree status with the University of Kentucky.”
As at South Florida, a bachelor’s degree is required of Manhattan’s coach, said the Manhattan spokesman Peter McHugh. It was not immediately clear what it would mean for Masiello’s future in the Bronx if the college confirms he has no degree.
“That is for our administration to determine,” McHugh said.
South Florida said the consulting firm Eastman & Beaudine of Plano, Tex., was hired to conduct the coaching search and their background check on Masiello picked up on his résumé gaffe.

I wouldn't be surprised if Manhattan finds a way to work out a deal where he finishes his degree and continues to coach at the school. NCAA appearances, and upset wins, bring a lot of attention and interest to schools with small national profiles. They also lead to more applications from prospective students and larger donations from alumni. Working out such an arrangement would prevent the administration from having to replace an extremely successful coach, and would also distract attention from the fact that they never did a thorough background check when they hired him. That allows him to repair the damage from his exaggeration and give the school a couple more years of good basketball before he makes that jump to the next level. Win-win as far as could be expected from this mess. Sure it doesn't look good from an ethical perspective, but we're talking about college sports here. Ethics takes a back seat to wins, losses and money.