Doug Gottlieb doesn’t exactly have a lot of allies in the media right now.
The head men’s basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay is getting humbled — in more ways than one — to say the least. After engaging in a war of words with Adam Schefter, who implored Gottlieb to spend less time on social media and more time in the gym, Green Bay lost to a Division II program.
Balancing two full-time jobs, Gottlieb was notably absent from his radio show following a brutal defeat to Michigan Tech. He tried to put his terrible week into perspective, even blasting ESPN for allegedly taking his “Nobody U” comments out of context, but it’s to little to no avail.
Despite the mounting pressure, the coaching fraternity is a tight-knit community. While many have taken the opportunity to kick Gottlieb while he’s down, Seth Greenberg stood by him, even after Gottlieb directed his criticisms at Greenberg’s employer.
“I wanted to address a little bit of the Doug Gottlieb situation and the quote of playing nobodies,” Greenberg said. “That quote was taken out of context. That wasn’t in relation to any particular school, nor was [it] the press conference prior to playing the game he lost the other day. Now, look, Doug Gottlieb has a radio show — and on that radio show, he opines. Then he also has a basketball team he coaches.
“He’s a first-year head coach. Coaching isn’t easy. It looks a lot easier on TV. The number of things you have to deal with in coaching that people don’t take into consideration, like suspending a player that doesn’t show up to shootaround or doesn’t go to class, who’s late for practice. You know what? It’s not just one player; you have team to consider yourself with. And he has to make tough decisions. And you’re gonna make mistakes — that’s just the way it is.”
This isn’t exactly new territory for Greenberg, who often took up for his dear friend John Calipari when afforded the opportunity on ESPN’s airwaves. And yet, when it comes to Gottlieb, Greenberg’s support feels more personal.
“You could make some mistakes if you’re a 30-year-old experienced coach or someone that’s coaching for the first time,” Greenberg continued. “But for someone to be so despicable and to take his words out of context — like him or not like — that’s wrong. And Doug Gottlieb’s not perfect, he’s probably made some bad decisions, but he’s trying to coach his team and he’s trying to do it the best he can for his institution.
“So, to me, coaching on TV’s easier than it is in real life. I’m undefeated for the last 12 years. So, it looks a lot easier than you think. It’s difficult. You’re dealing with a lot of personalities, a lot of factors, a lot of static, a lot of expectations, not an even playing field, and a lot of other things. The guy’s in his first year — give him a chance. But, surely, taking quotes out of context, whoever did that, it’s unprofessional.”
[Seth Greenberg]