This college basketball season has sparked considerable debate regarding fake reports and fake reporters. Notable instances include Rob Reinhart’s fabricated reports about Dan Hurley and Richard Pitino. Additionally, there was significant talk about Tulane’s men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter potentially leaving for North Texas (as their coach Ross Hodge has moved to West Virginia). This buzz intensified with posts on X from “Tyrone Billy Johnson” (@tyronebillyj) and a misspelled “Jon Rothstien” (@sohowistexas), which garnered a lot of attention:
SOURCES: Per sources Ron Hunter has agreed to a 4 year deal to leave Tulane for North Texas. One of the best teams in the American and blue blood programs steals from the conference.
— Tyrone Billy Johnson (@TyroneBillyJ) March 26, 2025
Sources: North Texas is targeting Tulane’s Ron Hunter as it’s next head basketball coach. North Texas will look to make an announcement by Friday.
— Jon Rothstien (@sohowistexas) March 26, 2025
Both posts appeared to be satirical, and there was no credible reporting indicating Hunter’s swift departure until Dick “Hoops” Weiss tweeted later that night confirming the move:
Ron Hunter leaving Tulane to become new head coach at North Texas.
— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) March 27, 2025
This development caught the attention of various commentators including Fox Sports announcer Tim Brando, who commented just before Tulane would compete in the College Basketball Crown tournament next week:
How does @Tulane let this happen 🤷♂️👇 https://t.co/JwMxVT5RPb
— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) March 27, 2025
As a response to the swirling rumors, the Tulane basketball account released a video featuring Hunter denying the speculation:
Step 1️⃣ Take the Crown 👑
Step 2️⃣ Take the momentum into next season 😤#RollWave🌊 pic.twitter.com/A7HPlkfAcq
— Tulane Men’s Basketball (@GreenWaveMBB) March 27, 2025
In the video, Hunter addressed the fans: “Hello, Tulane fans, it’s Coach Ron Hunter. As we’re preparing for the Crown tournament next week, we’re excited about our upcoming recruits for the next season. Don’t pay attention to the negative stuff out there. I am eager to coach this team for both next week and the next season. Roll Wave.” However, he did not specify what “bad stuff” he was alluding to. While Weiss’ report could have been original reporting, it’s also feasible that Hunter’s exit to the North Texas job remains a possibility, given the history of coaches denying rumors only to leave shortly thereafter. Tulane has experienced several high-profile departures in recent years, including football coach Willie Fritz moving to Houston and AD Troy Dannen transitioning to Washington, where he is currently at Nebraska.
As of Thursday afternoon, it seemed that the origin of the rumors necessitating Hunter’s response was a post attributed to “Jon Rothstien” at @sohowistexas. This incident ties back to the trend of misinformation we’ve seen from figures like “Reinhart” and others. It’s likely that this won’t be the last instance of such occurrences, especially in an environment where engagement on X is monetarily incentivized. This creates a dilemma for teams, coaches, and broadcasters: when is it worth confronting fake news, and when does addressing it merely amplify its reach?
