Sometimes, the answer is just as simple as the problem.
The typographical error that indicated Tufts was looking to hire a new head women's basketball coach to replace Carla Berube could have been cleared up by one, simple thing: a phone call.
"It was an innocent mistake," Athletic Director Bill Gehling said. "The one thing that surprised me was that nobody tried to contact the one person that would know for certain whether it was a mistake or not: me. If it all happened again, I hope that I would be contacted sooner."
The advertisement was intended to be for a new head field hockey coach. According to Gehling, the Athletic Department used the same template for this advertisement that they had used in finding a new Women's Basketball coach three years ago. There was a typographical error on the document sent to both Tufts' Human Relations department and the NCAA, and Gehling admitted that the Athletic Department was at fault.
Tufts received no complaints from the NCAA because there was only the one typographical error and the advertisement was listed under "Field Hockey," not "Basketball" on the NCAA website.
Berube found out about the misprint on Sunday morning, when she received a call in New Orleans from her assistant coach, Jackie Desmarias.
"My initial response was 'that's not true,'" Berube said. "I knew there was a field hockey opening and they must have been referring to that."
Berube promptly called the secretaries in the Athletic Office, Desmarias, and a few of her players just to "let them know I wasn't leaving. Little did I know there was mayhem [on campus]."
Gehling appeared just as shocked as Berube at how quickly news spread of the advertisement.
"I was extremely surprised at how quickly a firestorm had happened," he said.
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