Making History: Cal women's basketball Coach Lindsay Gottlieb accepts coaching job with Cleveland Cavaliers

ByCornell W. Barnard KGO logo
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Cal women's basketball Coach Lindsay Gottlieb accepts coaching job with Cleveland Cavaliers
Cal women's basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb says she's ready to take a leap of faith, to go where few women have gone before.

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- Lindsay Gottlieb says she's ready to take a leap of faith, to go where few women have gone before.

"The opportunity to be in the NBA is a lifelong dream, more so, to join an organization with a vision that included me," said Gottlieb.

RELATED: Cleveland Cavaliers hire Cal women's basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb as assistant

Gottlieb leaves a successful career as Women's Basketball Coach at Cal, for an assistant coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

An Historic hire for the NBA, as the first collegiate women's head coach to be recruited.

A fact that isn't lost on Gottlieb.

"A lot of people texted me today, to say my daughter will grow up to see a woman on the bench of the NBA thinking that's normal, because it is," Gottlieb added.

Currently, Becky Hammon assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and former WNBA player Is the only other woman with a coaching title in the NBA.

Professor Maria Veri is an an expert on sport and cultural studies at San Francisco State. She supports coach Gottlieb's move to the NBA, and believes it holds much potential.

"I hope other teams in the league will take notice, and will start considering women for coaching positions," said Veri.

Gottlieb says she plans to start her new position right away at summer training leagues.