BY ELLIE LIEBERMAN
SACRAMENTO — With Iona’s 93-73 loss to Oregon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament here, it may symbolize the end of an era for the Gaels.
Not only does it mean the end for leading scorer Jordan Washington as well as Jon Severe and Sam Cassell Jr., but the coaching staff could see a shakeup, too.
Associate head coach Jared Grasso is in the mix for the head coaching job at Quinnipiac, his alma mater, along with Albany coach Will Brown and others. Grasso’s been at Iona for seven years and during each year, the Gaels have recorded 20+ wins. Also, he’s been the key recruiter in bringing players like Washington, Michael Glover and A.J. English into the program.
“Coach Grasso deserves everything he gets,” said Iona coach Tim Cluess, who has also been linked to bigger jobs. “We wouldn’t be sitting up here without the hard work and dedication and all he brings to this program, so I’m rooting for someone to give him an opportunity because he’s deserving of it and he’s a terrific young coach.”
Prior to Iona, Grasso spent four years at Fordham. In 2009-10, Grasso was named interim head men’s basketball coach for the Rams five games into the season, replacing Dereck Whittenburg. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest NCAA Division I head coach in the country.
Photo: Lohud
