5 possible replacements for Rick Pitino at Louisville

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Head Coach Rick Pitino of the Louisville Cardinals directs his team against the Duke Blue Devils during the quarterfinals of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 9, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

5 of 5

Mandatory Credit: Scott W. Grau/ Getty Images /

1. Steve Masiello

Masiello played at Kentucky, for Pitino and Tubby Smith, before working under Pitino as an assistant Louisville from 2005-2011 before moving to the head coaching job at Manhattan.

Masiello led Manhattan to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and 2015, including a 25-8 season in 2013-14. Some controversy came in 2014 when had taken the head job at South Florida, but the offer was later rescinded when it was found he had not completed his degree at Kentucky. He completed that coursework later that year, but having lied on his resume may still be following Masiello as new opportunities surface.

The last two seasons have not been as good for Masiello and the Jaspers, with a combined record of 23-40 (14-26 in conference play) and tied for last place finish in the MAAC last year (10-22 record, 5-15 in-conference). But he could still be the right candidate for Louisville, with some coaching and recruiting acumen to lean on.

Next: Top 10 highest-paid assistant men's basketball coaches

It may come down to Masiello’s willingness to take on a tough upcoming situation. But Louisville is a certainly a step up for him, and a unique opportunity due to his past ties to Pitino and the school. Masiello could immediately leave his post at Manhattan for the job at Louisville, as awkward as it might be.