UWGB coach Doug Gottlieb continues making mockery of college basketball

Gottlieb's New Orleans excursion, with a month left in the college basketball regular season, adds to the mockery of his disastrous first season as Green Bay coach.

The Phoenix (2-22, 0-13 in Horizon) are arguably the worst team in Division I basketball. Gottlieb botched the hand-off from former head coach Sundance Wicks, who left for Wyoming in May 2024 after going 18-14 at Green Bay in 2023-24.

Before being hired, Gottlieb grated many with his poor hot takes.

In 2019, he ignorantly ridiculed Andrew Luck for retiring from the NFL over concerns over the effects of long-term injuries.

"Retiring cause rehabbing is 'too hard' is the most millennial thing ever," Gottlieb wrote.

"That's total b-------," replied Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman.

Gottlieb also got into an online spat with ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor Stan Verrett after Gottlieb blasted 2024 Heisman winner Travis Hunter's historic 2021 decision to commit to Jackson State, becoming the first No. 1 overall high school prospect to commit to a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

"Twitter celebrating a kid making an obvious mistake is hilarious," Gottlieb wrote. 

"Ignorant, but opinionated. Bad combo," wrote back Verrett.

The following year, in September 2022, Gottlieb retracted an erroneous report on Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman's decision to leave the Braves in free agency after initially writing that agent Casey Close declined to inform the slugger about Atlanta's final offer.

"I have learned the conduct I alleged did not occur and there is no credible basis for stating that it did," Gottlieb admitted.

Of all Gottlieb's mistakes — and he's made several — arguably his biggest failure has been at Green Bay.

Earlier this season, he infamously downplayed the significance of playing supposedly inferior competition before losing to a Division II program.

"I don't really like the idea of Nobody U coming in here ... I always thought, 'What do we learn playing a game where we win by 20,'" Gottlieb said.

A week after his comments, Green Bay lost to D-II Michigan Tech, 72-70.

Then, earlier this year, Gottlieb demanded "a mea culpa" from his detractors "when we start winning." Green Bay is currently riding a 19-game losing streak. 

Gottlieb's first season as a college basketball coach has been a joke. That makes sense. Considering the embattled coach is at Radio Row in New Orleans and not with his team back home, Gottlieb isn't taking the job seriously enough.