Lindsay Gottlieb, the women’s head coach for the USC Trojans, comes from a family of law practitioners.
Calling herself the family’s black sheep, she has often mentioned how she wanted to play sports since childhood, contrary to her siblings’ interests.
Key Takeaways
- Lindsay Gottlieb grew up in Scarsdale, New York, where she developed a strong love for sports despite her family’s focus on law.
- She has three siblings, among which two are lawyers.
- Although Lindsay went on a different path, Gottlieb’s siblings are her biggest supporters.
Growing up in Scarsdale, New York, among three siblings, Lindsay was the youngest and the most passionate about sports. She often joined neighborhood boys in games.
Her father, Stephen, served as a state Supreme Court justice and New York assemblyman, while her mother, Carol, transitioned from a stay-at-home mom to a stockbroker.
Both of her parents have passed away; her mother died when Gottlieb was a college sophomore, and her father died in 2013.
Law is the Gottlieb family business; father Stephen retired after 19 years on the bench in Queens County.
Following in his footsteps, older brother Peter Gottlieb, 54 (born May 8, 1969), is a lawyer in New York.
Besides that, not much information is revealed about the attorney, who maintains a low profile.
Similarly, her sister, Chris Gottlieb, is an adjunct clinical law professor at NYU.
Christine is also the current director of NYU Law’s Family Defense Clinic and plans to join the Law School faculty as an assistant clinical law professor.
Prior to her role at the Family Defense Clinic, Chris served as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s juvenile rights division and completed a clerkship under Judge Fortunato Benavides at the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Her exceptional contributions have earned her esteemed awards, including the Kathryn A. McDonald Award for Excellence in Family Court, the Brooklyn Defender Services Family Defense Practice Award, and NYU’s 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Award.
Surprisingly, the other sister, Suzy, broke the mold and became a veterinarian.
Like her brother, she stays out of the limelight but never backs down from supporting her younger sister.
Talking about her sister, Chris said, “She was smart and thoughtful, and I think we all knew she would be successful, but it didn’t occur to me, anyway, that it would be in sports.”
When Lindsay was in fourth grade, she asked her mom if she could join the football team. Eight years earlier, their mom had said no to her son Peter, worried about his safety.
However, she didn’t know how to respond to Lindsay’s request. She recalls her mom’s dilemma, expressing that she didn’t want Lindsay to think it was because she was a girl that she couldn’t play.
So, her mom allowed her to play, and she even became the quarterback, leaving her brother Peter bitter.
Now, sport is a big part of the Gottlieb family gatherings, with everyone fully supporting Lindsay’s coaching career.
Despite initial hesitations, they all enjoy discussing basketball during holidays, putting aside any brief discussions about work. They jokingly attribute their newfound interest in sports gear to Lindsay’s influence.
FAQs
Why Did Lindsay Gottlieb Start Coaching?
Gottlieb attended an Ivy League institution, Brown University, where she initially played basketball as a guard for the Brown Bears during her freshman year. However, following her mother’s passing in her sophomore year, she opted to take a year abroad in Australia. During this time overseas, she committed herself to pursuing a coaching career wholeheartedly.
Is Lindsay Gottlieb Married?
Yes, she is married to Patrick Martin, a finance entrepreneur. The couple are parents to two children, a son (b. 2017) and a daughter (b. 2022).
