​Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts after a play against the Florida Gators during the second half in the semifinals of the men’s Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesJohn Cohen runs Auburn athletics. That means the university’s basketball problems do not stop at the coach’s office.They reach the athletic director’s desk, too.Auburn basketball is days away from a new season, and the program has already lost its general manager amid a reported eligibility dispute involving a player expected to contribute.Brian Kloman was hired in March. By Oct. 26, reports said Auburn had fired him after the handling of Mantas Rubstavicius’ eligibility situation became a problem for the program.Rubstavicius, a Lithuanian forward, had pursued a lawsuit against the NCAA in an effort to play for Auburn. Reports said previously undisclosed college coursework in Europe complicated his eligibility case. He subsequently withdrew the lawsuit and planned to return to Europe to play professionally.The reported explanation for Kloman’s firing is that he knew about the coursework but failed to tell other Auburn officials.If that account is accurate, the decision to dismiss him is understandable. Programs must be able to trust the people responsible for roster construction and eligibility matters.But firing one employee does not make the larger questions disappear.How did Auburn get into this position in the first place, and who is accountable for the decisions surrounding its basketball program?This is bigger than one general managerKloman’s departure is a significant setback because of the timing.He joined Auburn in March to help build the roster for Steven Pearl’s second season. Now, with the season approaching, the program must adjust after losing both a staff member and a player it expected to have available.The situation also raises questions about Auburn’s internal checks and communication.Eligibility can be complicated, especially when international players have attended institutions or taken coursework overseas. That is precisely why a major program needs a reliable process for collecting academic records, communicating concerns and confirming that a player can compete.If one employee possessed information that other decision-makers did not have, Auburn needs to establish how that breakdown occurred.Was the information requested and documented properly? Were there safeguards to ensure multiple people reviewed the player’s eligibility? Did the coaching staff and athletic administration receive the information they needed?Those questions matter regardless of whether Kloman was solely responsible for the failure.Auburn is a major SEC athletic department. Its basketball program cannot afford to treat critical roster information as an informal conversation between a few people.The program needs systems that work even when an individual makes a mistake.T