Doug Gottlieb, former Oklahoma State standout, hired to be head basketball coach at Green Bay

During a 2024 college basketball coaching carousel that saw John Calipari go to Arkansas and Kentucky and Louisville both hire new coaches, the most interesting move might just belong to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

The Phoenix has hired radio host and longtime basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb, a former Oklahoma State standout guard, to be its next coach, according to multiple reports Tuesday, including Sports Illustrated, which had the news first. The university later confirmed the hiring.

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The 48-year-old Gottlieb has no previous college coaching experience, though he was on staff for the United States team in the 2009 and 2017 Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish multi-sport event that, like the Olympics, occurs every four years.

Gottlieb has worked in the media in some form since 2002, serving as an analyst for ESPN, CBS and Fox Sports. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the marriage between Gottlieb and Green Bay will be that Gottlieb will reportedly continue to host his nationally syndicated daily show for Fox Sports Radio.

For years, Gottlieb has expressed an interest in coaching, including at his alma mater, where he played under Eddie Sutton from 1997-2000 and remains the program’s career assists leader, despite only playing there for three seasons.

In 2017, he interviewed for the vacant Oklahoma State job, which ultimately went to Mike Boynton. In March, days after Boynton was fired after seven seasons, Gottlieb made his case to be the Cowboys coach in an appearance on WWLS radio.

"You know I want that job," Gottlieb said. "(I understand) what we have, what we need, what needs to be fixed, how to get the culture back in line, how to bring back the alumni, how we need to connect better with Stillwater and with the students and all of Oklahoma. I fully believe I can fill up the gym and I can get the NIL."

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Gottlieb had been one of the finalists for the Green Bay job last year before the university hired Sundance Wicks, who left after just one season to become the head coach at Wyoming.

In addition to his work in the Maccabiah Games, Gottlieb has also coached at the grassroots level in California. His late father, Bob, was the head coach at Milwaukee from 1975-80 and his brother, Gregg, is an assistant coach for the San Diego State women’s basketball program.