Lindsay Gottlieb is set to continue leading the USC women’s basketball team for the next six years. after the Trojans coach agreed to a contract extension Friday.
The contract extension ensures Gottlieb will remain the Trojans head coach through 2030, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The extension comes after a successful season that saw the Trojans clinch the Pac-12 Conference title and a deep postseason run to the Elite Eight, the furthest the team has gone in 30 years. The highlight of the Trojans is first-team All-American freshman JuJu Watkins, who returns next season, along with a strong recruiting class, ranked No. 1 by ESPN.
“I’m honored to be the head coach at USC, representing both the incredible alumni of our program, and the young women I have the privilege to coach each and every day,” Gottlieb said, per the Associated Press. “We set out to restore USC to the highest echelon of women’s basketball, and the magic we experienced this season was a byproduct of the vision, belief and efforts of so many. … But this is just the beginning. We have much more to accomplish. I’m thrilled to be here for a long time. Fight On!”
Gottlieb's success comes in just her third season after taking over the struggling USC program. She had already restored the Trojans to NCAA tournament contention in her second season, achieving a 21-10 record.
“We couldn’t be more excited to extend Lindsay and keep her as a part of the Trojan Family for years to come,” said USC athletic director Jen Cohen. “She has built a program we are extremely proud of and one that has had an incredible impact on our University and entire community.”
She joined USC after spending two years as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before her NBA stint, Gottlieb had developed a consistently successful NCAA tournament team during her eight years at the University of California, marked by a Final Four appearance in 2013. She reached the NCAA tournament in seven of those eight years, securing wins in the tournament in six of those appearances.
Gottlieb leads Trojans in securing final Pac-12 title
The Pac-12 win for USC was symbolic beyond simply highlighting how far the team has come under Gottlieb – it was also the last Pac-12 Tournament ever as the conference is dissolving next season.
Reflecting on the impact of the conference on her career, Gottlieb said at the time, “I have so much gratitude for the Pac-12 Conference … It has meant everything to my professional career … It's been all I’ve known, and for a New York kid, it is meaningful to me to get the championship in the last one.”
The final tournament's highlight was USC's victory over Stanford with a score of 74-61.
The tournament also witnessed historical performances, such as USC’s JuJu Watkins breaking the record for freshman scoring in a Pac-12 tournament game with 33 points, and the first-ever double-overtime game between Colorado and Oregon State.
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