Doug Gottlieb hopes to prove the naysayers wrong by the time the team hits the court this fall.
The Green Bay Athletics Department introduced Gottlieb as its 10th head men's basketball coach at a press conference on Wednesday. Chancellor Michael Alexander credited Athletic Director Josh Moon on his outside-the-box thinking on the hire, which almost occurred ahead of last season before Sundance Wicks won the job.
Gottlieb spoke for approximately 35-40 minutes after he was introduced, reflecting on his time playing college basketball at Notre Dame and Oklahoma and his experiences. He began his press conference by telling a story about how he told his mom that he got the job.
Critics of the hire have pointed to his national sports talk show, which he will keep doing as the coach of the Phoenix, as a possible distraction. Gottlieb defended the decision, saying he had rid himself of other commitments and was open to dropping the show if he could not handle doing both. With three scholarships remaining to fill and several players wondering if they should dip their toes in the portal, Gottlieb asked for trust.
Gottlieb was named the coach shortly after Wicks opted to move back home to take the head coaching position at Wyoming.
