South Florida Coaching Candidate Lies about Background

Here comes another story about yet another coach lying to get a job.

South Florida had just fired head coach Stan Heath and was about to ink Manhattan coach Steve Masiello to a five year, $5million deal, subject to a routine verification of credentials.

Often, that step is so routine that employers don't bother to do it and just check the appropriate box on the relevant form, unlike that diligent lab-coat dude in the Cheez-It commercial. He knows he has one job:

Looks like both Manhattan and South Florida athletic departments could use a dude in a lab coat with a clipboard.

After all, Masiello got the Jaspers job and has been there for three years. And he'd probably be wearing a Bulls sport coat and tie right now if the USF's search committee's headhunters didn't double back and do the job they were supposed to do before South Florida made an offer and Masiello accepted.

But, it turned out that Masiello exaggerated the number of degrees he has. Like, none.

Kinda harkens back to George O'Leary, who exaggerated on his résumé. Remember, O'Leary had the Nôtre Dame job in the bag, but then the Irish discovered he had -- as Shakespeare so eloquently put it -- gilded the lily. Unfortunately for him, Nôtre Dame deals in shamrocks.

But fortunately for O'Leary, Central Florida was much more understanding. And he became fairly successful there.

The head-scratcher is that a requirement for most Division I coaching positions is that candidates must have earned a Master's degree as well as a Bachelor's to even be considered. South Florida is no exception. Manhattan shouldn't be. Those are pretty big cracks for someone like Masiello to fall through, especially on a state-funded school's nickel.

Masiello must have thought the headhunters would simply forego the background checks since he was already on the coaching carousel at Manhattan. It makes one wonder how often this sort of thing goes undiscovered. Usually, only the hot names get hit because they and their egos can't get out of their own way.

Ask Bruce Pearl where lying landed him. In the worst coaching job in the SEC; Auburn.

It's going to be interesting to see who gives Masiello a second chance. But first, he'd better finish up and get his degree.

Here's the perfect school for him to do it: George Washington. And we're not lyin'.