And the organization blame you almost entirely for it? If so, how badly did you want to continue working for that organization?
Having had this experience before, I can assure you I wanted out of there even though I wasn't in jeopardy of losing my job. I just didn't trust the organization to make the right decisions moving forward or to have my best interests at heart.
Point is, even if he has a chance of starting, he knows what that looks like at the U and may realize it's just a waste of time to continue down that path.