Doug Gottlieb suspended one game by Horizon League after postgame comments

Wisconsin-Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb was suspended for violating the Horizon League’s operating regulations Sunday. The league released a statement on Wednesday regarding Gottlieb’s one-game suspension.

“The Horizon League is suspending Green Bay men’s basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb for violating the League’s Operating Regulations on Sunday, February 15,” the statement read. “As a result, Coach Gottlieb has been suspended for Friday’s game against Oakland. Gottlieb’s postgame comments do not reflect the League’s values or sportsmanship expectations. The Horizon League considers this matter closed and will have no further comment.”

Gottlieb then took to social media to release a statement. He apologized for his actions over the weekend during a fiery rant.

“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.”

The talk radio host-turned-college basketball coach pounded the table during an explosive three-minute postgame rant in which he raged over three pivotal moments late in the game. That included a late technical foul called against him.

Doug Gottlieb suspended for comments, apologizes for rant

“I need the league to explain to me why I got a technical foul when I did not curse, I was not demonstrative, I did not leave my box. All I said was ‘That’s the same play as on the other end,’ OK?” Gottlieb said Sunday night. “All we ask is that there’s a fair game. That’s what we ask.”

Gottlieb was called for a technical foul with 6:58 remaining in the game after arguing with an official following a defensive rebound by Milwaukee’s Faizon Fields on the other end of the court. The former nationally-syndicated radio host compared it to an earlier scenario when Green Bay’s CJ O’Hara received his fourth foul after grabbing an offensive rebound, and specifically called on new Horizon League commissioner Jill Bodensteiner to explain why he was assessed a technical foul for saying as much.

“CJ O’Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs, and CJ gets called for a foul. I need (Horizon League coordinator of officials) Donnie (Eppley) at the league and the new commissioner to explain to me the disparity in the officiating,” Gottlieb continued. “That’s what I need explained to me. I’ve got no problem with their team, their staff, they played hard, they did what they do. They play tough and they play aggressive.”

But perhaps the most explosive moment of the entire rant came seconds later when Gottlieb finally let the expletives fly when discussing a crucial offensive foul in the game’s closing seconds.

“You had the exact same play at both ends at the end of the game – the exact same play! The EXACT SAME F**KING PLAY!” Gottlieb repeated as he slammed his hands on the table hard enough to knock over the microphone in front of him. “The exact same play. … Alright, (we) kind of drove into traffic, whatever. But it’s the exact same play at the other end. Could not be more similar. And yet, every time they drove into (us), it was a foul, and every time we did it was mixed. … And (official) King Whetstone called the technical foul and he avoided me the rest of the game. That’s not right.

“I was not combative in any way. I did not curse one single time, I was not on the court one single time. I was not out of my box one single time. … You tell me, that’s all I’m asking.”

Sunday night’s loss snapped a three-game win streak for Green Bay (15-13, 10-7 Horizon), which was led by a game-high 32 points from Marcus Hall, who shot 10-of-15 from the floor in defeat. O’Hara added 10 points and Preston Ruedinger had 12. Milwaukee (11-17, 7-10 Horizon) was led by 23 points off the bench from Chandler Jackson.

Alex Byington contributed to this report