Doug Gottlieb pounds table in fiery rant, demands answers from Horizon League commissioner

Doug Gottlieb is demanding answers from Horizon League officials after several calls went against Green Bay in Sunday night’s 75-72 road loss at Milwaukee. The fiery sports 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, including a late technical foul called against him.

“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, according to a video provided by WFRV Local 5’s Kyle Malzahn. “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.

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

“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.