Cavs Make Historic Coaching Hire

The Cleveland Cavaliers can make that two recent hirings from collegiate programs on their coaching staff in a three-month period. In what has been a monumental hiring in quite some time, the Cavs hired the University of California-Berkeley women’s head coach Lindsay Gottlieb as an assistant coach to update and improve the coaching core of the franchise.

Gottlieb — a Final Four and seven-time NCAA tournament head coach for the Golden Bears — is the first women’s collegiate head coach recruited to an NBA staff. In her eight seasons as the Bears’ head coach, she constructed a 179-78 record while also getting some of her girls to the WNBA.

Gottlieb will sign a 4-year deal with the Cavs, and it is reported that she will serve a prominent role alongside fellow Assistant Coach JB Bickerstaff and newly-appointed head coach John Beilein, who formerly served in the same position for over a decade at the University of Michigan. Since San Antonio’s assistant coach Becky Hammon had such a quick rise to prominence, Commissioner Adam Silver has been determined for the rest of the league to be open to welcoming more female coaches into its ranks, and Gottlieb’s stature, success and coaching credentials are unprecedented among women’s coaches in the NBA.

The initial idea to bring an experienced and tenured female head coach as part of the coaching staff was brought into play and pitched to Beilein by Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman, sources said. Beilein got wind of Gottlieb’s potential impact on the overall team environment and became determined to bring her talents to Cleveland, and a deal was made with Gottlieb and her agent, Bret Just of CAA on Tuesday night.

Before her days as a head coach at a major D1 program, Gottlieb had a 56-39 record with an NCAA bid in her three seasons as the head coach at the University of California-Santa Barbara. She’s also been featured on the coaching staff for several national teams for USA Basketball.

As it stands, Gottlieb is the eighth female assistant coach to be hired in the NBA, but her signing is historical in the fact that she comes from a Power 5 conference team that is known for their consistent top-25 presence and a gratuitous college salary that has eclipsed over $700,000. She is expected to make an immediate presence with the Cavaliers to either share a player development or assistant coaching role.

Gottlieb is no stranger to the NBA whatsoever. She was a habitual visitor to Golden State Warriors practices, courtesy to head coach Steve Kerr and general manager, Bob Myers. She was also spotted at the LA Clippers’ training camp last year.

As the Cavaliers prepare for their impending top-5 pick in the draft on June 20, a possibility that could turn into reality is that Gottlieb will be on the summer league staff in June into July.