Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball coach Doug Gottlieb had some harsh words for the officials after a 75-72 loss to in-state rival Wiscosnin-Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 15. And the tirade he unleashed rivaled any hot take he ever had on his former national radio show.
The Phoenix had the lead for most of a foul-plagued second half, but Gottlieb was particularly upset by a loose-ball foul called on his team’s best player, CJ O’Hara, with 4:25 to go. The foul, with the Phoenix up by four, was O’Hara’s fourth and Gottlieb felt it changed the course of the game.
After getting called for a technical foul earlier in the half, Gottlieb was further incensed when no foul was called as his player drove for a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds.
‘You had the exact same play at both ends on the last play of the game,’ Gottlieb said to reporters, pausing momtarily before aggressively slamming his fists onto the table.
‘The exact same (expletive) play!’ he yelled, ‘The exact same play!’
He also took issue with the technical foul, which came with just under seven minutes to play.
‘So I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don’t leave the box, I don’t curse, I’m not demonstrative,’ he said. ‘There is nothing, nothing, that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one.’
Milwaukee converted 22 of 24 free throw attempts during the second half of the game − despite being one of the worst-shooting teams from the line coming in at just 68.5% on the season.
The loss dropped UWGB to 15-13 overall and a tie for third in the conference at 10-7.
‘All we ask is that there’s a fair game,’ Gottlieb continued. ‘I need … our new commissioner to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That’s what I need explained to me.’