Auburn fires basketball GM Brian Kloman over hidden eligibility details that derailed Lithuanian recruit's case
Auburn basketball dismissed general manager Brian Kloman just nine days before the season opener, roughly seven months after hiring him away from Louisville, according to the report. The firing stems from Kloman concealing that recruit Mantas Rubstavicius had previously enrolled in university courses in Europe — a fact that triggered the NCAA's five-year eligibility window and effectively ended his bid to play for the Tigers. Rubstavicius' representatives had initially believed he had a valid eligibility case as someone beginning his collegiate career, but the hidden enrollment history undermined that argument. Rubstavicius subsequently announced he would forgo his ongoing lawsuit and return to play professionally in Europe.
Kloman hid that Rubstavicius had once been enrolled in university courses in Europe, which changed the calculus for his eligibility case
Why it matters
For coaches: The case illustrates the compliance risks programs take on when relying heavily on a single staff member to manage the details of complex international recruitment.
For athletes: International recruits need to understand that prior enrollment in university-level courses abroad can start the NCAA eligibility clock, regardless of whether they considered it a collegiate education.
For collectives: Auburn reportedly paid a €300,000 buyout to secure Rubstavicius' commitment, making the failed eligibility case a significant sunk cost for the program's recruiting infrastructure.
Read the full story at CBS Sports
Sources
- CBS Sports · Isaac Trotter: Auburn basketball fires general manager Brian Kloman for allegedly hiding key details in eligibility snafu