St. John's reaches agreement with Tom Ostrom to be new Red Storm GM, Rick Pitino says
Tom Ostrom, right, attends the St. John's game against Marquette at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 13, 2026. Credit: Newsday/Roger Rubin
St. John's has an agreement with Tom Ostrom to take on the role of general manager as the program builds its 2026-27 roster, according to coach Rick Pitino.
Ostrom replaces Matt Abdelmassih, who was dismissed in January, as Newsday first reported. St. John's did not announce a reason for parting ways with Abdelmassih, but multiple sources told Newsday the dismissal came after the school had reviewed Abdelmassih’s financial transactions in his capacity as the Red Storm GM.
A source confirmed the school's agreement with Ostrom.
Pitino, whose Red Storm is ranked No. 18 nationally, said he is hoping Ostrom and his family become comfortable with the idea of living in the New York area and stays on long-term. Ostrom and his wife, who live with their four children in West Virginia, were in town this week to assess the area as a possible fit for them long-term.
“He's a very honest man,” Pitino told Newsday in a telephone interview Wednesday. “He's very good with recruiting. He knows the agents very well. He is . . . the guy who does everything we need and understands the kind of players that fit for us."
Ostrom’s candidacy was first reported by Newsday. He arrives with a resume that dovetails well with Pitino. He comes highly recommended by people the Hall of Fame coach trusts. He’s been a Division I assistant coach for a quarter-century, including a seven-year stint at Florida under Pitino protégé Billy Donovan.
Ostrom, 56, will take on responsibilities that had fallen on associate head coach Steve Masiello, who already is heavily involved in the coaching and preparation of the team. Ostrom will handle all interactions with player agents — and has a sophisticated knowledge of which players might best fit into a Pitino system — but would not be involved in the film work to assess talent.
“He's going to recommend and then all the coaches are going to do all the film work and see if we like them or not,” Pitino said. “He knows me very well [and] what I look for.”
Ostrom, a 1997 graduate of Minnesota, was an assistant coach for Darian DeVries for three seasons, first at Drake and then at West Virginia in the 2024-25 season. He also has been an assistant coach at Dayton and Indiana under head coach Archie Miller and at South Alabama and Arkansas under head coach John Pelphrey, who played for Pitino at Kentucky.
Pitino said Ostrom has been gradually working into the role for approximately three weeks. Asked if he had “hit the ground running,” Pitino replied, “absolutely.”
Pitino said Ostrom’s title will initially be “a consultant.” Without a general manager, Masiello has handled all interactions with players’ agents and potential portal activity. Ostrom’s arrival will allow Masiello to focus more on preparing St. John’s for games, the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
Ostrom’s role will be to filter roster possibilities for Pitino and his staff and then handle negotiations if they saw a player they like.
Asked if he believes that Ostrom would be ideal as a general manager, Pitino replied, “He definitely is.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
