QUEENS, N.Y. (April 11, 2023) – St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino has announced the program’s new coaches and staff members who will join the Hall of Famer in Queens this season. The Red Storm men’s basketball program welcomes Associate Head Coach Steve Masiello, Assistant Coach Ricky Johns, Director of Player Personnel Taliek Brown, Special Assistant to the Head Coach Bob Walsh, Director of Basketball Operations Jeff Martin, and Video Coordinator Brandon Irving. All six individuals were part of Pitino’s staff at Iona last season and helped lead the Gaels to a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.

Van Macon will return for his fifth season at St. John’s to serve as an assistant coach, while Strength and Conditioning Coach Brandon Kuhn continues in his role for his second year with the men’s basketball program.

“Our staff is part of the PHD philosophy of being extremely passionate, hungry and driven to make St. John’s one of the premier programs in college basketball,” said Pitino.

Associate Head Coach - Steve Masiello

Steve Masiello brings more than two decades of Division I coaching experience to the St. John’s men’s basketball program, including 11 seasons as head coach at Manhattan College from 2011-22. During his tenure in Riverdale, Masiello led the Jaspers to back-to-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

The White Plains, N.Y., native most recently served on Pitino’s staff at Iona University, as he helped lead the Gaels to the 2023 MAAC regular season and tournament championships and earn a No. 13 seed in the Big Dance.

A former assistant coach at Louisville, Masiello spent six seasons under Pitino, helping the Cardinals to a 148-61 (.708) overall record, six-straight 20-win seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances. The Cardinals advanced to the Elite Eight twice in 2008 and 2009. Masiello played a vital role in building Louisville’s 2009 BIG EAST Championship team, which won 31 games including a program record 16 in league play and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

As head coach at Manhattan, Masiello led the Jaspers to 162 wins, the third-most in program history. He set a school record with 11 MAAC Tournament victories and made three-straight trips to the conference’s tournament final, winning it all in 2014 and 2015.

Masiello mentored 16 All-MAAC performers, seven MAAC Major Award winners, four MAAC All-Rookie Team selections, 17 MAAC All-Academic performers and seven 1,000-point scorers. He twice garnered Coach of the Year honors presented by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA).

In his first season at Manhattan, the Jaspers enjoyed the biggest turnaround in Division I, posting 21 victories in 2011-12, a 15-win improvement from the previous season. The following year, Masiello guided Manhattan to the MAAC championship game for the first time in nine seasons. In 2013-14, the Jaspers matched a program record with 25 wins and earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Manhattan made its second-straight run to the MAAC title in 2014-15. During its back-to-back championship seasons, Masiello posted a 44-22 (.667) overall record, including a 28-12 (.700) league mark.

Prior to returning to Riverdale as the program’s head coach, Masiello served as an assistant coach at Manhattan from 2001-2005. He helped lead the Jaspers to three postseason appearances in four years, earning a bid to the 2002 NIT before capturing a pair of MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2004. Masiello helped guide Manhattan to one of the finest wins in program history when the Jaspers upset Florida in the First Round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Jaspers posted an 83-36 (.697) record during his time as an assistant.

Prior to Manhattan, Masiello served as the administrative assistant at Tulane from 2000-01.

A four-year member of the Kentucky men’s basketball team, Masiello played under head coaches Pitino (1996-97) and Tubby Smith (1997-2000). During his playing career, Kentucky made two trips to the Final Four in 1997 and 1998, advancing to the National Championship game both times and winning the title in 1998. Masiello was named the Wildcats’ co-captain his senior year.

A local product, Masiello attended Archbishop Stepinac High School before completing his final two years at the Harvey School in Katonah, N.Y., where he helped the basketball program to a New England Prep School Athletic Association Championship.

Assistant Coach - Ricky Johns

Ricky Johns joins the St. John’s men’s basketball program after six seasons on staff at Iona, including the last five as an assistant coach for the Gaels. During his tenure in New Rochelle, Johns was part of four MAAC tournament championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2023), three MAAC regular season titles (2018-19, 2021-22, 2022-23) and three 20+ win seasons. A 2007 graduate of the University of Utah, Johns joined the Gaels for the 2017-18 campaign as director of basketball operations before being promoted to assistant coach the following year.

Through his six seasons with the Gaels, Johns was instrumental in the development of 11 Iona student-athletes that earned All-MAAC honors, including back-to-back Player of the Year award winners, Tyson Jolly (2022) and Walter Clayton Jr. (2023). He also helped mentor 2021 MAAC Rookie of the Year Nelly Junior Joseph and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Berrick Jeanlouis.

Prior to his time with Iona, Johns spent two seasons as head coach of the Monroe College women’s basketball program. He guided the Mustangs to a 31-27 record, earning a Region XV Championship in 2016 and a District III Championship in 2017. He also worked three seasons with Monroe’s men’s basketball program as an assistant coach from 2012-15, mentoring multiple All-Region and All-American players, including a pair of Region XV Player of the Year honorees who continued their careers at Division I institutions.

A New York City native, Johns has playing experience at every level of basketball: high school, college, and professional.

Johns was a standout guard at Wings Academy High School in the Bronx and led the team to a PSAL Class B title in 2002. He went on to letter at Monroe College from 2003-05 and became one of the most accomplished players in program history. Johns scored 1,202 points in two seasons with the Mustangs. He also earned back-to-back Region XV Player of the Year and NJCAA Second Team All-America honors after averaging 20 points per game in each of his two years at Monroe. Johns continued his collegiate career at Utah, where he was named the team’s co-captain as a senior and averaged 7.5 points while shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point territory in 30 games.

Johns played professionally in Poland, Mexico, Venezuela, and Argentina. He was also a member of the Jamaican National team, where he helped them win gold medals in the Caribbean Basketball Championships in 2006 and 2009.

Johns has experience serving as head coach for the International Basketball Academy. He was also a skills development coach at a Utah Pro Performance in Salt Lake City and an assistant coach at Juan Diego High School in Draper, Utah. Johns has worked various camps at the University of Utah, HoopGroup and Five Star Basketball.

Director of Player Personnel - Taliek Brown

Taliek Brown served as an assistant coach at Iona for the 2022-23 campaign. He helped the Gaels post a 27-8 overall record, including a 17-3 mark in MAAC play, and earn a bid to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. A native of Corona, N.Y. in Queens, Brown previously spent three years as Director of Player Development at his alma mater UConn prior to his time in New Rochelle.

Brown was the captain of UConn’s 2004 NCAA National Championship team and remains the program’s all-time assists leader. A four-year letterwinner under Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, Brown engraved his name in the Huskies’ record book with 722 career assists and he also owns the program’s single-season record, posting 253 assists during the national championship campaign. Brown is the only player in UConn men’s basketball history to score at least 1,000 points (1,039) and dish out at least 700 assists (722).

During his time as Director of Player Development for the Huskies from 2019-2022, Brown mentored UConn’s student-athletes, building strong personal relationships with them, while initiating and participating in off-court activities that taught and developed life skills. He was also responsible for managing the men’s basketball program’s graduate assistants.

Brown earned his degree from the University of Connecticut in political science in 2013 and had a 10-year professional career playing in the CBA, USBL and multiple foreign professional leagues.

A McDonald's All-American out of St. John's Prep, Brown spent time as an assistant coach at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City and as head coach at August Martin High School in Jamaica, Queens. He also oversaw the TeamFootprintz basketball training program.

Special Assistant to the Head Coach - Bob Walsh

Bob Walsh returns to the BIG EAST after serving as an assistant coach at Iona for the 2022-23 campaign. Prior to his second stint with the Gaels, Walsh served on Ed Cooley’s staff at Providence from 2019-22 as Associate Director of Player Development, Scouting and Recruiting Coordination. It marked his second tenure with the Friars, after previously serving as an assistant coach with the program from 1998-2005.

Walsh brings a wealth of coaching experience to Queens, which includes 13 years as an NCAA head coach. Prior to returning to Providence, Walsh was the head coach at the University of Maine from 2014-18 and previously spent nine seasons at Division III Rhode Island College from 2005-14. In his combined 13 seasons as head coach, Walsh boasted a 228-163 record (.583), including a 137-79 mark (.634) in conference play. He guided RIC to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Sweet 16 berths and one Elite Eight.

Walsh began his career as a graduate assistant at Iona in 1994. After two seasons in New Rochelle, he joined the staff at the University of San Diego as an assistant coach in 1997-98. Walsh returned to the East Coast to join former Iona head coach Tim Welsh at Providence in 1998. As an assistant with the Friars, he helped guide the program to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2004 and mentored the program’s all-time leading scorer Ryan Gomes.

An innovator in leadership and development off the court, Walsh is the founder of the Dynamic Leadership Academy for young leaders and coaches. Walsh also is the host of the Dynamic Leadership Podcast on AthleticDirectorU.com.

A 1994 graduate of Hamilton College, Walsh earned a degree in sociology, and he also holds a master's degree from Iona in mass communication and public relations.

Director of Basketball Operations - Jeff Martin

Jeff Martin comes to Queens after spending three seasons as the Assistant to the Head Coach under Pitino at Iona. In his role with the Gaels, Martin was responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations for the men’s basketball program and the head coach, while also assisting with film and analytic breakdown and overseeing the academic progress of student-athletes.

During his time in New Rochelle, Martin was part of a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season titles and two tournament championships. The Gaels posted a 64-22 overall record, including a 40-9 conference mark, and made trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2023. Iona also earned a postseason berth in 2022, participating in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Prior to his time at Iona, Martin spent a year with the Texas Legends, an NBA G-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, where he worked as a basketball operations intern. While on staff with the Legends, Martin assisted with film and personnel game planning, supported player development and assisted players in acclimating to the Dallas area. The Legends finished fifth in the conference before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Katy, Texas native, Martin also worked at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) as a graduate assistant with athletic operations, while completing his master's degree in business administration. At Stephen F. Austin, he was responsible for coordinating gameday operations tasks at each home sporting event, managing student employees, and facilitating day-to-day operations within the athletics department.

While a graduate assistant at Stephen F. Austin, Martin also served as a volunteer assistant coach for his alma mater, LeTourneau University. While on staff at LeTourneau, he organized and performed on-court skill training, along with coordinating game preparation. Martin assisted in scouting, game planning and player development.

Martin played two seasons at Murray State University, helping the Racers to an undefeated OVC regular season championship during his sophomore year in 2014-15. That squad went on to earn an NIT quarterfinal appearance and was ranked as high as No. 24 in the country.

Martin played his final two seasons at NCAA D-III LeTourneau. He helped the basketball program to its first conference championship and the most wins in school history. Martin secured ASC Player of the Year and NABC All-Region First Team as a senior, averaging 13.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.5 rebounds. He also found national success during his tenure, ranking third nationally in assists during his junior campaign and top-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio in both seasons.

Video Coordinator - Brandon Irving

Brandon Irving comes to St. John’s after two seasons on the men’s basketball staff at Iona. Irving was elevated to the role of video coordinator for his second season with the Gaels after previously serving as the program’s graduate manager for the 2021-22 campaign. Irving contributed to Iona’s success during his two years in New Rochelle, as the Gaels captured a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular season titles (2021-22, 2022-23) and the MAAC Tournament Championship in 2023.

Prior to Iona, Irving worked in the NBA G-League, assisting basketball operations for the Texas Legends under head coach Bob MacKinnon. Irving also spent time working with NBA veterans, Eric Snow and former St. John’s standout Zendon Hamilton, and helped the franchise produce its winningest season in 2017-18.

During his time with the Texas Legends supporting basketball operations, Irving assisted in scouting, team practices, and individual player workouts for several prospects. Irving was promoted to the role of project manager for the 2018-19 season. That year, Irving oversaw the franchise’s internship program while coordinating game-day operations and running Legends sports clinics & youth basketball camps. In 2019, the Legends were named the NBA Gatorade League’s Franchise of the Year.

Following his tenure with the Legends, Irving returned to his alma mater, University of North Texas, as a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball program, assuming similar roles in scouting, player workouts and overall logistics for the Mean Green. North Texas had two all-conference players and the program’s first C-USA Player of the Year in 2020. That season, UNT won its first outright regular-season conference championship in 31 years and captured its first C-USA Tournament title while setting a then-program record with 14 league wins.

A native of Houston, Irving received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in recreation, event & sport management from the University of North Texas in 2017 and 2021, respectively.