Israeli pro team hires Fine as consultant

Former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine has landed his first job since being fired last November, as a consultant with Maccabi Bazan Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Super League.

Former Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine has landed his first job since being fired last November.

Maccabi Bazan Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Super League announced Thursday that Fine has been hired as a basketball consultant to the team, which is owned by Florida-based businessman Jeffrey Rosen.

Maccabi Haifa will include Fine on player personnel decisions, as well as the team's coaching search for next season. But Fine will do his consulting from the United States.

The Haifa-based club, which employed Golden State Warriors center Jeremy Tyler two seasons ago when Tyler turned pro before graduating high school, is scheduled to play two exhibition games against NBA teams in October. It previously came to the U.S. to play the New Jersey Nets in a 2010 exhibition.

After losing star center Sean Williams to the NBA when the lockout ended in December, Haifa has slumped to a 5-20 record that has the Greens, as they're known, stuck in last place in Israel's 11-team top division.

Fine has strong ties to Israeli basketball. He coached the U.S. Maccabiah team to a silver medal at the 1993 World Maccabiah Games.

Fine worked for Syracuse for 36 straight seasons and had the longest active tenure at one school among Division I assistant coaches before he was fired in November, amid allegations that he sexually molested two former ball boys.

Fine has denied any wrongdoing and no charges have been filed. A federal investigation is ongoing.

When asked to comment, Syracuse said that coach Jim Boeheim would have no comment on Fine.

Information from ESPN.com's Andy Katz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.