St. John's basketball GM out over financial concerns

St. John's coach Rick Pitino is considering candidates to replace general manager Matt Abdelmassih, who was dismissed by the university.

Abdelmassih confirmed his departure to Newsday on Tuesday evening but declined to make an additional comment, per the newspaper.

Newsday reported Abdelmassih was placed on administrative leave last month after a review of his handling of finances as GM. His responsibilities included negotiating with players and agents on behalf of St. John's as well as fundraising for the school's NIL collective.

"Look, it's never good to see people go, but in the eyes of the university, it was very warranted," Pitino said Tuesday night after the Red Storm defeated Marquette 92-68.

Pitino said he got official word of his GM's termination on Tuesday.

"All I was told four days ago is, look for another general manager. They said to me, 'Don't ask any questions.' I said, OK -- I'll look for one.' It's really not a big deal."

Abdelmassih is a 2007 graduate of St. John's and was a student-manager for the Red Storm before launching his coaching career. He worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves and later was an assistant coach at Iowa State and Nebraska. He served on the St. John's staff under former head coach Chris Mullin as well, and was hired by Pitino in 2023.

In 2020, ESPN recognized Abdelmassih as one of the 40 top basketball coaches under age 40.

On the season St. John's is 12-5 (5-1 Big East). The Red Storm finished 31-5 last season and were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.