Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Green Bay basketball team fell to conference rival Milwaukee on the road in Horizon League play on Sunday. Head coach Doug Gottlieb was not happy with officiating after the loss.
The second-year leader ripped referees during an angry tirade in which he slapped a table and used profanity while addressing the media. A suspension could follow based on past instances of officiating criticisms.
The game was close, though the Phoenix seemed in control for the large majority. They did not trail for the first 28 minutes of play. Their largest lead was eight points, which came with about eight minutes left in regulation.
Unfortunately, they’d be unable to close. The Panthers used an 8-0 run to even the score. They’d later win 75-72 with late free throws.
Green Bay’s basketball coach blasted referees.
Green Bay men’s basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) with an intense postgame press conference wanting an explanation why he was called for a technical foul late in the 2nd half.
You can take a listen for yourself. Maybe the most fired up you’ll see a coach. pic.twitter.com/nTXPbYFpUb
— Kyle Malzhan (@KyleMalzhan) February 15, 2026
Doug Gottlieb was particularly upset with three calls throughout the course of the contest.
One related to a technical foul he received in the second half. He called the official that penalized him out by name.
“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 we ask is that there’s a fair game… King Whetstone called the technical foul then he avoided me the rest of the game. That’s not right.”
He also took issue with a foul called on one of his players, CJ O’Hara.
“CJ O’Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs, CJ gets called for a foul,” he continued. “I need the new commissioner to explain to me the disparity in the officiating.”
Finally, he pointed to the final play of the game in which he believes a foul should’ve been called against Milwaukee.
“Every time we touched them, it was a foul in the second half,” he recalled. “On the last play of the game, just to get the ball, they’re grabbing us and holding us.
“If you’re not calling that, that’s fine, but you had the exact same play at both ends on the last play of the game. The exact same f— play!”
Will Doug Gottlieb be suspended?
The Horizon League has been strict with coach/referee exchanges in the past. Last year, Greg Kampe was suspended for confronting an official on the floor after a loss to Robert Morris.
Broadcast captured a little bit of Kampe’s rage postgame. pic.twitter.com/PZeY2KdOsk
— Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman) January 28, 2025
He was sidelined by the conference for “engaging with an official in a manner that violated League Operating Regulations.”
Kampe’s one-game punishment came days after Youngstown’s Ethan Faulkner was suspended for a similar incident.
“Unsportsmanlike actions towards an official” were cited in that case.
The scenario for Gottlieb is a bit different. For one, both of the previously mentioned altercations involved a coach approaching a referee on the court. Gottlieb was simply critical in the postgame, though his tirade could certainly fall under the category of “unsportsmanlike.”
Secondly, both previous suspensions were handed out by then-commissioner Julie Roe Lach. She was replaced by Jill Bodensteiner last Thursday.
Bodensteiner has been on the job just three days. She has already been called out by a league coach.
The Horizon League has a no non-sense approach when it comes to protecting officials. That’s demonstrated in their long-standing partnership with Officially Human, which “exists to restore respect to, and positive treatment of, sports officials.”
It’s also been evident in the previously mentioned punishments.
Gottlieb says he was respectful towards referees during the game. His emotions got the best of him after the loss. The conference’s new commissioner will now determine if that outburst is suspension worthy.