Archbishop Stepinac (NY) head coach Pat Massaroni releases statement on suspension

White Plains (NY) Archbishop Stepinac boys basketball head coach Pat Massaroni was officially suspended by the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) for seven games and released a statement regarding the suspension.

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‘First and foremost, I want to thank all of you! This has been an incredibly difficult and frustrating time for our program, and the outpouring of support from alumni, current and former players, parents, colleagues, fans, friends, and family has been truly overwhelming and deeply appreciated. I also want to thank the leadership at Stepinac for their continued support throughout this process and to my attorney, the Honorable Robert K. Holdman, for his hard work and guidance.

I am happy to announce that all penalties that would have negatively impacted the student-athletes at Stepinac have been lifted, which was always my primary concern and focus.

With that said, I was issued a seven-game suspension.
While neither I, nor the program are happy with the severity of the final decision and verdict, I have always put the best interests of our school and our students/ players ahead of all else and therefore accept this ruling so we can put this situation behind us and return the focus to the amazing accomplishments of our school, program and this special group of student athletes from this past season.

While this situation is unfortunate, I will not let this in anyway steal any shine from the incredible accomplishments of this past year – which stands on its own. The success of this program is a testament to hard work, commitment, vision, consistency, teamwork, the power of the Stepinac community and most importantly the young men who have proudly worn the Stepinac uniform!

I will continue running all day-to-day operations of the program from now through the suspension. I have tremendous confidence in the overall quality of our program, our incredible coaches and support staff and have no doubt we will maintain the very high standards we have set for ourselves.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity and I am blessed to be a part of the incredible Stepinac Family.
Thank you again for all your support and we look forward to the 2026-2027 season and beyond!‘

The penalties for Massaroni stem from the Chipotle Nationals not being deemed a sanctioned NFHS sporting event, with Archbishop Stepinac not being granted permission by the CHSAA.

This past season, Massaroni led the Crusaders to a groundbreaking season, guiding Archbishop Stepinac to the Chipotle Nationals and finishing with a 26-5 record overall. Massaroni has totaled over 200 wins at his alma mater and won five CHSAA titles.

According to the final Rivals National 2025 High School Boys Basketball Composite Rankings, Archbishop Stepinac finished as the country’s No. 4 ranked team.

More about Archbishop Stepinac

“Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, offers a dynamic athletic program featuring sports like basketball, football, and track. The school focuses on nurturing both athletic and academic success, providing students with opportunities to excel in a range of sports. With dedicated coaching, modern facilities, and a commitment to student-athlete development, Archbishop Stepinac aims to foster teamwork, discipline, and leadership among its athletes while maintaining a strong academic foundation.”

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