University Southern California Trojans
Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Women's Basketball Coach
- Email:
- rcohan@usc.edu
Now entering her sixth season as head coach at USC, Lindsay Gottlieb has guided the Women of Troy to national prominence, highlighted by back-to-back NCAA Elite Eight appearances in 2024 and 2025. A two-time finalist for the Werner Ladder National Coach of the Year award, Gottlieb led USC to the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament championship and the program's first Big Ten regular-season title in 2025. USC also earned No. 1 seeds in the 2024 and 2025 NCAA Tournaments, marking the first time in more than 40 years the Trojans received consecutive top seeds.
With 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Gottlieb owns a 346-179 career record and has compiled a 111-50 mark through five seasons at USC.
USC made its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025-26, marking the program's longest tournament streak since a five-year run from 1991-95. The Trojans finished 18-14 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 71-67 overtime victory over Clemson. Gottlieb also continued her track record of developing elite talent, mentoring Jazzy Davidson to USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year honors. Davidson became the second Trojan freshman under Gottlieb to earn the distinction, joining JuJu Watkins, who swept both awards in 2024.
In 2024-25, Gottlieb guided USC to one of the most successful seasons in program history. Behind Naismith Trophy winner JuJu Watkins, the Trojans finished 31-4 overall, reached the Elite Eight and posted the program's highest win total since 1986. In USC's first season in the Big Ten, Gottlieb led the Trojans to a 17-1 conference record and the regular-season championship, earning Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. USC also climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings, its highest ranking since 1984.
Gottlieb orchestrated USC's resurgence in 2023-24, leading the Trojans to their first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years. USC finished 29-6 overall, recording its highest win total since the 1985-86 season, and entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 3 nationally — its highest ranking since 1986. The season featured a packed Galen Center victory over rival UCLA, JuJu Watkins' program-record 51-point performance at Stanford and NCAA Tournament hosting duties that culminated in a Sweet 16 appearance and eventual trip to the Elite Eight. USC also captured the program's second Pac-12 Tournament championship.
In 2022-23, Gottlieb guided the Trojans back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. USC finished 21-10 overall and recorded a signature upset of then-No. 2 Stanford, signaling the program's return to national relevance.
During her first season at USC in 2021-22, Gottlieb navigated a competitive Pac-12 Conference while laying the foundation for the program's resurgence. The Trojans finished 12-16 overall and 5-12 in conference play.
Prior to USC, Gottlieb spent eight seasons as head coach at California, leading the Golden Bears to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and a Final Four berth. She also served as an assistant coach with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers before being named USC's head coach on May 10, 2021.
Gottlieb became just the seventh female NBA assistant when she was hired by the Cavs in June of 2019 and the first NCAA women’s head coach to be hired by an NBA team. Cavalier players praised her knowledge of the game, leadership and communication skills.
Prior to her move to the NBA, Gottlieb spent eight seasons (2012-19) as the head coach at Cal, posting a 179-89 (.668) overall record and advancing to the NCAA tourney all but once. Seven of her teams won at least 20 games, including the 2013 squad that went 32-4 (a school record for wins) and made it to the program’s first-ever NCAA Final Four. She was the 2013 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and a Naismith National Coach of the Year finalist and was just the seventh NCAA women’s coach since 1990 to reach the Final Four in the first two seasons of being hired.
Her 179 overall victories still stand as the second-most in Cal history. Her teams finished in the top half of the Pac-12 standings six times, including tied for the regular season title in 2013 (a program first) at 17-1 and second twice. Her Cal players were named All-Americans 10 times and six were WNBA Draft selections.
Gottlieb made her mark immediately at Cal, taking a senior-less team in 2012 to the second round of the NCAAs with a 25-10 overall record and a second place Pac-12 finish. Her 2013 Final Four team snapped Stanford’s 81-game conference winning streak. The Golden Bears were 22-10 in 2014 (second in Pac-12) and 24-10 in 2015 (third in Pac-12), advancing to the NCAA second round both seasons. After dipping to 15-17 in 2016, Cal rebounded with a 20-14 season in 2017 and got to the NCAA second round. Her final two Golden Bear squads were 21-11 in 2018 (NCAA first round) and 20-13 in 2019 (NCAA second round).
Gottlieb was an assistant at Cal for two seasons (2006-07) and then the Golden Bears’ associate head coach in 2008. The Golden Bears had their first winning season in 13 years in 2006 and played in the NCAAs each season. She worked primarily with the post players, with Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton both becoming All-Americans (Hampton was Cal’s first Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2006 and Walker was the program’s first WNBA draftee when she went in the 2009 first round).
Gottlieb then became the head coach at UC Santa Barbara for three years (2009-11), where she posted a 56-39 (.589) record and led the team to trips to the NCAA (2009) and WNIT (2011) tourneys. She won 75 percent of her Big West games (36-12), captured Big West regular season championships in 2009 and 2011 and the Big West tournament crown in 2009, and was named the 2009 Big West Coach of the Year when UCSB was 22-10 overall and 15-1 in league play. She was the first coach in school history to win 20 games in her debut season. The Gauchos went 15-17 in 2010 and 19-12 in 2011 (falling in WNIT play to USC).
She also was an assistant at Syracuse (2000-01), New Hampshire (2002) and Richmond (2003-05). The Spiders won at least 20 games all three seasons and earned postseason berths in the 2003 and 2004 WNIT and 2005 NCAA tourneys.
Gottlieb played basketball at Brown, serving in the unique role of player and student assistant coach in her 1999 senior season. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Brown in 1999 and has a master’s degree in philosophy of education from Syracuse.
Gottlieb prepped at Scarsdale (N.Y.) High. She was sidelined her senior year with a knee injury, which led her to consider a coaching career.
Gottlieb and her husband, Patrick, have a son, Jordan, and daughter, Reese.
