Why KU students chanted ‘shorts on backwards’ at Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KU fans resurrected a 1999 taunt, chanting “shorts on backwards” at Gottlieb.
- Gottlieb acknowledged the original incident, saying travel delays, excitement caused it.
- He praised Allen Fieldhouse’s atmosphere and lauded its preserved historic charm.
The University of Kansas students in the south bleachers of Allen Fieldhouse began chanting “shorts on backwards” in the direction of Green Bay basketball coach Doug Gottlieb with 1:14 remaining in KU’s 94-51 rout of the Phoenix on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.
Gottlieb confessed after the blowout loss he indeed heard the Jayhawks’ fans, who teased him about an incident in a game between KU and Oklahoma State way back on Feb. 2, 1999, in KU’s tradition-rich building.
Gottlieb, a standout guard for the Cowboys who led the country in assists two seasons, wore his shorts on backwards the first eight minutes of the KU-OSU game, a 67-66 overtime KU victory.
Coach Eddie Sutton had to call timeout so Gottlieb, who huddled with his teammates, actually put his shorts on correctly without anybody seeing the quick change.
KU fans chanted “shorts on backwards” at Gottlieb in that game more than 25 years ago and again on Monday night.
“You know, there are about 60,000 people that were here in ’99,” Gottlieb joked. “(They say), ‘Hey Gottlieb I remember you had your shorts on backwards. I was there.’
“Really? I’d like to see your ticket stub,’’ Gottlieb added of his response to those fans who may have fibbed about being at the game.
“The story behind that, really quite simply, was I was just excited about getting to play in Allen Fieldhouse,” Gottlieb said Monday, explaining why he wore his shorts on backwards vs. KU.
“My two idols growing up (in California) were Jacque Vaughn (KU) and Bobby Hurley (Duke). When I had my shorts on backwards, it was because we flew in the day of the game. We got delayed. By the time we got here, we decided not to do shootaround. Instead, we just went to the hotel, and then came here and I just threw on my shorts. I threw on those tearaway pants and went out there. I never even checked.
“It was about seven minutes into the game when I dropped ‘trou’ and changed. There’s a remarkable number of people that remember that, which shows the beauty of YouTube. That everybody says ‘I was there.’
“Sure you were,” Gottlieb cracked. “But again if you’re going to be remembered for that … I’d prefer to be remembered for the fact I hit two 3s in that game. I think that was one of two multi-3 games in my career and we lost on a bad call. But if you want to remember shorts on backwards, that’s OK.”
Gottlieb, not only a coach but a host of a show on Fox Sports Radio, is a big fan of Allen Fieldhouse.
“I tell people it’s the Lambeau Field of college basketball. It still has kind of the classic charm. It’s about the sport. It’s not about the ribbons,” Gottlieb said. “They’ve got a nice videoboard. But it’s just about the game. It could be 1960 or 2025. If you haven’t been to Lambeau it’s a similar experience.”
Gottlieb added: “I would give a body part to have played tonight. It’s the best (place to play), especially because we lost on a (expletive) call in 1999. I’m not bitter about it at all. We saw Ryan Robertson (former KU guard) at the Village Inn (after game). We’re like, ‘Ryan that was a great game, but it was a (expletive) call.’ He said, ‘What are you talking about?’
“It’s just different playing. It’s pretty cool to sit down there (coaching). And for people that don’t know, there’s only one person I wrote a letter to asking for a job coaching at a college and it was coach (Bill) Self. He was at Tulsa at the time.
“I said, ‘I’m going to try to play, but I’d come work for you any time.’ And that’s why I’ve coached at his adult camp. I’ve broadcast a couple games here. Obviously it’s just a special place and he’s an amazing coach.”
Gottlieb likes the Allen Fieldhouse renovations.
“What was it like (coaching Monday)? It was cool,” he said. “They’ve done so many things around it, but just left it the same. I wish they’d done the same with Gallagher (Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma). I wish they did the same with Ahearn (Fieldhouse, K-State). These are great historic barns. You dolly it up, it loses its charm. Mizzou did the same thing, screwed it up (by leaving Hearnes Center). They’ve got it figured out here. It helps when you win 90% of your games, right?”
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Why KU students chanted ‘shorts on backwards’ at Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb."
