Auburn fires GM as player's eligibility case falls apart

The Auburn Tigers men’s basketball season begins Nov. 4 against Southeastern Louisiana, but the program is undergoing changes.

Incoming transfer Mantas Rubstavicius withdrew his lawsuit against the NCAA, and on top of that, GM Brian Kloman has been fired amid the eligibility issues, according to a report from Nathan King of 247Sports.

Rubstavicius is a 24-year-old from Lithuania, and he filed a request for a temporary restraining order recently after the NCAA ruled him ineligible.

But, reports surfaced that the transfer had enrolled in university courses in Europe, and it turns out that Kloman had known about that situation.

“Sources told Auburn247 that Kloman was Rubstavicius’s primary recruiter and knew that Rubstavicius had been enrolled in university courses in Europe, but did not make the rest of Auburn’s staff aware. That fact came to light this week and significantly damaged Rubstavicius’ case, and he will now be backing off legal action,” King wrote.

Rubstavicius released a statement saying he will “pursue an opportunity in Europe” rather than wait to see how the lawsuit plays out, although the university enrollment overseas left him with little of a case.

Kloman was just hired in March, and he previously worked with Pat Kelsey as Louisville’s Executive Director of Player Personnel and Strategic Initiatives.

Auburn is entering its second season with Steven Pearl as the head coach, and this isn’t a great sign with the opener right around the corner.