1. Roland Vincent Massimino was an American basketball coach.
15 Facts About Rollie Massimino
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Rollie Massimino served as the head men's basketball coach at Stony Brook University, Villanova University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Cleveland State University, and at Northwood University's Florida campus, which was sold in 2014 to Keiser University.
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Rollie Massimino reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament five times and reached the NAIA Semi-final twice.
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Roland Rollie Massimino graduated in 1952 from Hillside High School in Hillside, New Jersey.
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Rollie Massimino earned a master's degree equivalent in health and physical education from Rutgers University in 1959.
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Along the way, Rollie Massimino was laying the foundation for an elite scholastic program which later dominated the Middlesex League, winning state titles in 1971,1972, and 1978 along with league championships in 16 of the past 30 years.
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Rollie Massimino's next stop was as an assistant coach under Chuck Daly at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Two years later, Rollie Massimino was himself forced out when it was revealed that he and UNLV president Robert Maxson had cut a side deal to lift Rollie Massimino's salary above the figure being reported to the state of Nevada and the state commission ruled that this had violated both state ethics laws, as well as UNLV rules.
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Rollie Massimino's contract was bought out following a series of off-court issues.
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Rollie Massimino was the head coach of the men's basketball team at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida, members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
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Rollie Massimino continued his role as coach when Northwood University sold its Florida campus to Keiser University.
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On November 1,2012, Rollie Massimino returned to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky for the first time since his 1985 championship triumph, playing a preseason exhibition game against reigning NCAA Division I champions Kentucky.
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Fox Sports released a 2018 television documentary titled The Maestro: The Rollie Massimino Story, written and directed by Bill Raftery, which chronicles Massimino's final season coaching Keiser University.
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Rollie Massimino coached the season, against his doctors' recommendation, while battling terminal cancer.
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Rollie Massimino was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and brain cancer in April 2016 and given one year to live.