FOX Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb is making a surprising return to the college basketball ranks.
The former Oklahoma State point guard was hired to lead the Green Bay men’s basketball team — despite not having much coaching experience.
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What makes the move even more surprising is that Gottlieb will maintain his nationally syndicated daily radio show while coaching the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix team.
“It is an unparalleled honor to be named the 10th men’s basketball coach in UWGB history,” Gottlieb said in a statement.
“I would like to thank Chancellor Mike Alexander and Josh Moon for this incredible opportunity.
“Every child has a dream to grow up, some want to be firefighters, others want to be president, I always wanted to be a Division I basketball coach.”
Gottlieb, who has signed a five-year contract, has made no secret of his desire to become a coach in recent years.
He interviewed for the Oklahoma State job in 2017 and was one of the finalists for the Green Bay job in 2023.
The 48-year-old lost the role that went to Sundance Wicks, who led the team to an 18-14 record before moving to Wyoming.
The esteemed basketball analyst, who was born outside of Milwaukee, doesn’t believe his lack of coaching experience will hold him back.
“People who know me and know the sport in depth, it’s more me who chooses to join than the school giving me an opportunity, since I didn’t train at college,” Gottlieb told Inside Wisconsin.
“As far as coaching itself and the X’s and O’s, I’ve coached more games in the last seven years than anyone in America.
“Because when you coach AAU games, with my kids playing at different levels, I coached 10 to 16 games in a weekend.
“I’m not going to sit here and say this is as in-depth in coaching as coaching Division 1 at Horizon [League] but what it does especially for those of us who can process every moment, it’s like speed dating.”
Gottlieb was a famous college basketball player, first at Notre Dame and then at Golden West College and Oklahoma State.
He led the nation in assists before leading Oklahoma State to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament his senior year.
His 947 assists are 11th most in NCAA Division I men’s history.
After going undrafted in the NBA, Gottlieb played professionally in Israel, Russia and France.
I’ve coached more games in the last seven years than anyone in America
Doug Gottlieb
He also won the gold medal as Team USA MVP at the 2001 Maccabiah Games.
Gottlieb’s only coaching experience was with the United States national team at the 2009 and 2017 Maccabiah Games.
He has worked as a respected – but occasionally controversial – media personality for ESPN, CBS and Fox Sports since 2002.
“What he’s doing now is a two-hour radio show. Balancing that is no different than what other people have done in this area,” Green Bay athletic director Josh Moon said. told CBS Sports.
“That’s different – I’m not saying it’s the same thing – but the commitment to it in terms of how many hours a day, Doug can balance that with where he is in his career.
“His challenge will be: how do you balance the shots and the opinions and the things that drive that process. That’s what he’s going to have to figure out.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
