Manhattan Head Coach Steve Masiello has announced the addition of former Tulane Head Coach Shawn Finney as an assistant coach. He will be involved in all aspects of the program including but not limited to game preparation, recruiting and scouting.
“Shawn Finney brings 30 years of coaching experience to the Manhattan program,” said Masiello. “He has been a winner and associated with winning at every stop of the way and gave me my first job opportunity, which I am very thankful for. We look forward to him bringing new and innovative basketball to the Manhattan program as well as a plethora of experience with individual instruction, scouting, game preparation and recruiting.”
Finney also has been associated with the Division I ranks for 25 seasons, advancing to the NCAA Tournament eight times, while coaching 15 future NBA players.
“Steve Masiello is a great young coach in this profession and I am excited for the opportunity to come here and help him,” said Finney. “Having coached Steve at Kentucky and giving him his first opportunity at Tulane, it makes it even more rewarding to come be a part of his program.”
Finney, who spent five years as the head coach at Tulane, most recently served as an assistant coach at UCF for six seasons from 2010-2016. During his time in Orlando, he helped the Knights to a pair of postseason appearances and three 20-win seasons. Prior to that stint, Finney was a member of the staff at Marshall for three seasons where he helped mentor current Miami Heat standout Hassan Whiteside.
He spent one season as the Director of Basketball Operations in 2006-2007 at Kentucky where he worked alongside future NBA players Randolph Morris, Jodie Meeks and Joe Crawford while helping the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament.
At Tulane, Finney was the head coach for five seasons from 2000-2005 while helping Linton Johnson blossom into a NBA player and under his guidance every student-athlete that was recruited or played during his tenure with the Green Wave graduated. Previous to that appointment, he served as an assistant coach alongside Tubby Smith for nine seasons at Tulsa, Georgia and Kentucky.
Finney helped the Wildcats to an 86-23 record and three trips to the NCAA Tournament from 1997-2000, highlighted by winning the 1998 National Championship. He also was instrumental in the development of eight future NBA players: Keith Bogans, Michael Bradley, Jamaal Magloire, Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett, Tayshaun Prince, Jeff Sheppard and Wayne Turner.
During his two seasons at Georgia, Finney helped develop Shandon Anderson into a NBA player while the Bulldogs went 45-19 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament each season, highlighted by a trip to the 1996 ‘Sweet 16.’ At Tulsa, he worked with future NBA Player Shea Seals while the Golden Hurricanes advanced to the ‘Sweet 16’ in 1994 and 1995.
Finney also gave Masiello his start in the coaching profession at Tulane, hiring him as a special assistant for the 2000-2001 campaign.
He began his coaching career at Garrett CC, Pikeville and Randolph-Macon before ascending to the Division I ranks for the 1990-1991 campaign.
Finney, a West Virginia native, played collegiately at Fairmont State and graduated in 1985.
