Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb received a one-game suspension from the Horizon League on Wednesday following an emotional outburst earlier in the week in which he ripped officials after a game.
He will miss the Phoenix’s game at Oakland on Friday for “violating the league’s operating regulations.” The league also said his postgame comments “do not reflect the league’s values or sportsmanship expectations.”
Gottlieb took to social media on Wednesday to apologize for his actions following his team’s 75-72 setback at Milwaukee on Sunday.
“I’d like to apologize to the Horizon League and the officials for my disparaging comments following Sunday’s game,” Gottlieb said. “I understand and appreciate how difficult their job is, and respect what they do for the sport of basketball. I will be better moving forward.”
Green Bay also released a statement from chancellor Michael Alexander and athletic director Josh Moon, saying that they disagree with the suspension and that assistant coach Kerry Rupp will be the acting head coach Friday.
“We have talked to Coach Gottlieb about the comments he made following Sunday’s game. We appreciate his apology and respect the commissioner’s decision, however, we do not believe his actions warrant a suspension,” their statement said. “We feel a reprimand or public censure would have been more appropriate.”
On Sunday, Gottlieb slammed both hands on a table during a postgame press conference and demanded answers for a technical foul and another foul during the closing seconds of the game.
Phoenix guard Preston Ruedinger drove to the basket before the Panthers’ Stevie Elam grabbed the ball out of his hands without a whistle. The notion that a foul was not called on that play with three seconds left after a whistle with 24 seconds remaining at the other end of the court angered Gottlieb.
“The last play of the game, just to get the ball, they’re grabbing us and holding us. Again, I understand if you’re not calling that — that’s fine,” Gottlieb said. “You had the exact same play on both ends in the last play of the game. The exact same f–ing play! The exact same play.”
Gottlieb also took issue with receiving a technical foul after arguing with an official with 6:58 remaining in the second half.
“I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League (Jill Bodensteiner) to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don’t leave the box, I don’t curse, I’m not demonstrative,” he said. “There was nothing, nothing that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one.”
Gottlieb, 50, is in his second season coaching the Phoenix (15-13, 10-7 Horizon), who saw their three-game win streak come to a halt on Sunday. The team limped to a 4-28 record in Gottlieb’s first season in 2024-25.
A point guard, Gottlieb played college basketball at Notre Dame (1995-96) and Oklahoma State (1997-2000).
–Field Level Media
