Auburn Fires GM Brian Kloman Over Hidden Eligibility Detail — SkimNews
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- Auburn fired general manager Brian Kloman on Monday, nine days before the Tigers' season opener against Southeastern Louisiana and seven months after hiring him from Louisville.
- Kloman was the point man on the recruitment of Mantas Rubstavicius and hid the fact that the Lithuanian wing had enrolled in university courses in Europe, according to Auburn247's Nathan King — a detail that changed his eligibility calculus.
- Rubstavicius was not cleared by the NCAA and was pursuing a temporary restraining order to gain eligibility; enrollment in European university courses starts the five-year eligibility window, and he was apparently not a first-time student.
- Rubstavicius said he was leaving to pursue an opportunity in Europe rather than continue with "the uncertainty associated with my ongoing lawsuit."
- Auburn paid Žalgiris Kaunas a €300,000 buyout to land Rubstavicius' commitment; the 24-year-old, 6-foot-6 wing with EuroLeague and Australian NBL experience, was in the mix to start at the 3 alongside Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton.
- Auburn's updated projected starting lineup lists guards Tahaad Pettiford, Kevin Overton and Caleb Williams, forward Thomas Dowd and center Narcisse Ngoy; Rubstavicius, previously in the mix to start at the 3, is not among the five.
- Steven Pearl missed the NCAA Tournament in 2026 before leading the Tigers to the NIT Crown, and Auburn was picked 10th in the CBS Sports SEC preview for an expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament field.
Why it matters: Auburn paid Žalgiris Kaunas a €300,000 buyout for a commitment from a wing who never became eligible and is leaving for Europe. Losing the general manager Auburn hired for his international ties nine days before the Southeastern Louisiana opener leaves Steven Pearl without a GM and without the 6-foot-6 wing who was in the mix to start at the 3.
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