Doug Martin, assistant men’s basketball coach for Villanova University, resigned this weekend after the school launched an investigation that discovered discrepancies on his resume.
Martin claimed that he played college basketball for the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay from 1991 to 1995. However, that school has no records of him playing for them. In fact, the coach he said he had played for, Dick Bennett, has no recollection of him at all.
The head coach of the Villanova Wildcats, Jay Wright, reported that he was informed about the errors on the resume after Martin had accepted a position with the team. Additionally, Wright stated, “I have always known Doug to be a good person and coach. He has taken responsibility for his mistake and will move on successfully. We all wish Doug well.”
Also of note, Martin’s LinkedIn page claimed he was the recipient of a bachelor’s degree from Wisconsin-Green Bay, a four-year letter winner and the captain of the team his senior year. It is unclear as to whether or not these claims are accurate, but the recent removal of Martin’s LinkedIn page leads one to think they may not be. However, it is clear that Martin had used these same credentials to obtain employment in the past, as his previous employer, Paul VI High School, listed them under his profile in the athletics section of their website.
Fortunately, Martin’s employment with Villanova only lasted about a week before the “errors” were discovered on his resume. However, by running a pre-employment background check, the university could have saved the money it took to bring Martin onto their staff and the unnecessary media attention they are now receiving.
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