Doug Gottlieb Under Fire for Gender-Based Critique of Female Referees

Green Bay head coach and former Oklahoma State standout Doug Gottlieb sparked controversy this week after making sweeping comments about female referees while discussing officiating in the WNBA, specifically in relation to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

During a recent segment, Gottlieb defended Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White, who had called out the officiating following a physical game involving Clark. Instead of focusing on the calls themselves, Gottlieb pivoted into a broader criticism of female referees, both in women’s and men’s basketball.

“We have female officials in the men’s game,” Gottlieb said. “Some of them are not good enough. They really struggle to handle the men’s game because of the physicality and plays at the rim. And when you challenge them, they become overreactive and super defensive.”

In essence, Gottlieb wasn’t just offering critique; he was implying that women, by nature or personality, are ill-suited to officiate high-level basketball. His comments, predictably, set off a wave of backlash from players, coaches, media figures, and fans alike.

While Caitlin Clark’s profile has elevated discussions around officiating quality in the WNBA and the increased viewership surrounding her games, Gottlieb’s take veers sharply away from analysis and into gender stereotyping. Critics were quick to note that his framing wasn’t about missed calls or league officiating standards; it was about women in the role, period.

“Women are, we can say it’s a double standard, and we can talk about how unfair it is, but they’re judged differently than men are,” Gottlieb continued. “Because of that, it breeds insecurity. When you have some of the coaches, and a lot of the big-name players saying, ‘You stink, you’re not any good,’ constantly, and we all know the fans, any time your team loses, it’s the officials’ fault. They become overreactive and super defensive, and then they screw up the game by calling everything. Which is, by the way, the next step in what happens in officiating Caitlin Clark’s games.”

Women currently make up a growing portion of the officiating ranks across college basketball and the NBA, and the notion that their performance is inherently inferior remains a contentious issue, one that leagues have sought to address through expanded training, development pipelines, and visible assignments in key games.

The Big 12 connection here is hard to miss. Gottlieb remains a recognizable name in the Oklahoma State community and around the league’s media circles. His statements, whether reflective of his coaching philosophy or simply locker-room radio talk, will follow him into his second year leading the Phoenix.

As for the broader conversation surrounding Caitlin Clark, the WNBA, and officiating standards, there is an honest debate to be had. But Gottlieb’s take didn’t spark it. It just reminded everyone how far we still have to go when it comes to talking about gender and credibility in sports.