Maybe there aren't just two, but three, hot candidates for the St. John's head coaching job.
On Friday, multiple outlets, including SNY and the NY Post, reported that the two top candidates for the new position are Rhode Island head coach Danny Hurley and Sacramento Kings advisor and St. John's alumnus Chris Mullin.
Now, another big New York name is popping up as a potential savvy choice.
According to the NY Post, current Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello is very high on the St. John's program and the school's higher ups may be on board.
Steve Masiello would be extremely interested in the vacant St. John's coaching position, multiple sources clsoe to the Manhattan coach told The Post following Friday's announcement Steve Lavin would not return.
Masiello, who grew up in nearby White Plains, has been discussed by school officials as one of the leading candidates and has significant support among higher-ups at the university, sources said.
"It would be his dream job," a source close to Masiello said. "He's a New Yorker through and through. It's a natural fit."
Masiello has been the head coach at Manhattan for four seasons and led the Jaspers to two straight NCAA Tournaments- last year they almost defeated Louisville in the second round and this season they lost to Hampton in their First Four game in Dayton.
Last offseason, the White Plains native accepted a contract offer to be the head coach at South Florida but the deal was later called off after the Bulls went through with a background check that showed Masiello did not actually graduate from Kentucky. He returned to the school this summer to finish up his studies and was offered another chance with the Jaspers.
In his four seasons on the job, Masiello has a 79-53 record, three trips to a postseason tournament and two MAAC conference tournament championships. He was also an assistant at Manhattan from 2001 to 2005 and worked under Rick Pitino, who he also played under, at Louisville for seven years.
Like Hurley, Masiello has strong ties to New York and would help the Johnnies in their New York/New Jersey recruiting pitches that have struggled over the last few years with Lavin at the helm.
The head coach is also expected to be in the mix for a number of other jobs but St. John's seems to be his number one option if he were to leave the Bronx school.