Doug Gottlieb's UWGB contract as men's basketball coach includes early $850,000 buyout

GREEN BAY – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball coach and radio personality Doug Gottlieb plans to stick around longer than the one season Sundance Wicks did before he left for the Wyoming job two months ago.

But if his debut as a college coach is a smashing success and he departs for a more lucrative offer the next few years, UWGB will be rewarded financially just like it was with Wicks.

The five-year contract Gottlieb officially signed this week includes buyouts that must be paid should he accept another coaching position at a Division I school or a position with a broadcast media employer which prohibits him from continuing as the coach of the Phoenix.

If notice is provided any time prior to the Friday after the men’s national championship game in 2026, the liquidated damages are $850,000.

It goes down to $650,000 in 2027, $300,000 in 2028 and $100,000 in 2029.

Wicks’ contract with UWGB called for $705,000 in liquated damages if notice was given any time prior to April 1, 2025. UWGB received that full amount. There was no lower buyout negotiated when Wicks left.

Gottlieb’s contract will pay him a gross base salary of $215,000 this season. He will get raises to $250,000 in his second season, $270,000 in his third, $290,000 in his fourth and $305,000 in his fifth and final year.

Those figures are lower than the revised contract UWGB signed Wicks to in April.

Wicks was set to make $300,000 this season, followed by $325,000 in 2025-26, $350,000 in 2026-27, $375,000 in 2027-28 and $400,000 in 2028-29.

Gottlieb has plenty of opportunities to make additional money each season.

He will receive $5,000 for winning at least a share of a Horizon League regular-season championship and $10,000 for a Horizon League tournament title.

Gottlieb receives $5,000 each for an opening-round win and a second-round win in the NCAA Tournament, $15,000 for making the Sweet 16, $50,000 for an Elite 8, $100,000 for a Final 4 and $200,000 for a national championship.

He will receive $2,500 for an NIT appearance, $1,000 for each win in the tournament and $10,000 for an NIT championship.

A national coach of the year honor nets him $10,000 and a Horizon League coach of the year award is worth $5,000.

Each win over a Power Five or Big East opponent is worth $2,500. Each NET top 60 win – which will be determined at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament – will earn Gottlieb $2,500.

Gottlieb also will receive $10,000 for a 20-win season and $7,500 for each sold out home game at the Resch Center or Kress Center.

Conflict management plan included in agreement

Gottlieb’s hire presented a rather unique situation considering he also hosts his national radio show during the week and will continue to do so even after accepting the job at UWGB.

If a remunerated conflict of interest or appearance of such conflict is identified during Gottlieb’s tenure, a conflict management plan will be developed to align with UW policy and the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

A plan also should be developed to document athletic director Josh Moon’s written permission if it is determined Gottlieb’s outside professional activities could create a conflict of commitment with his duties as the coach of the Phoenix.

A conflict of commitment may exist if his aggregate time commitment to one or more outside professional activities exceeds an average of 16 hours per calendar month during hours he normally would be on duty in his basketball position.

Gottlieb, who is the owner of Doug Gottlieb Productions Inc., disclosed his outside activities will average 15 hours per week, which will overlap with school business hours.

For any outside activity engaged in by Gottlieb during business hours, he will be required to work the equivalent number of hours per week outside of business hours as confirmed by Moon.

No outside activity can interfere with Gottlieb’s duties as basketball coach, and he will make all efforts to ensure that the needs of his players and assistant coaches are met, not withstanding any outside activity. He must adjust schedules and develop communication plans within the program to provide required contact with the program during his engagement in outside activity.

Prior to any travel required for outside activity, he must outline a plan confirming any travel away from the school will not result in institutional expenditures for that travel. Any planned absences will be confirmed with Moon not less than seven days prior to the travel or as soon as reasonable. Gottlieb will use paid leave if applicable.

UWGB will monitor and evaluate the management plan and policies. If at any time it decides the plan is not sufficient to manage the conflicts or that it is not in the best interest of the school, it could determine the conflict is not capable of a management plan.

At that time, Gottlieb could be asked to not continue his involvement in the outside activity causing the conflict while employed by the school.

Gottlieb and UWGB did not have much problem coming to an agreement on the management plan.

"It wasn't that difficult," Moon said. "You just have to communicate on the front end of what his hours look like and, again, you are not going to find a guy who works more during the day in terms of everything he is doing. That was really not a concern at all, his radio show. It was fairly easy to do. He has a plan in place to make sure he is following through."