Mark Gottfried was one of the coaches that gave me a chance to work at UCLA's basketball camp when I was a first year coach. He was always there if I had a question even though he was coaching at the likes of UCLA, Alabama, and NC State. He never forgot the man that gave him his first big shot, Jim Harrick at UCLA and he has been paying it forward ever since with his assistants while mentoring them to be head coaches themselves one day. I truly enjoyed our conversation that spanned from his earliest years witnessing his dad and uncle as college coaches to being a part of the transfer portal himself as a player to what he learned from his mistakes along the way. He's most proud besides the on-court success of his relationships with his former players - many of which he still talks to today. Finally, you don't want to miss who he would like to have at his dinner table if he could choose any 5 people past or present dead or alive to have a meal with him. He's a dad of 5 wonderful kids who he's so proud of and does not rule out a return to coaching. We hope you enjoy this phenomenal interview with Coach Gottfried.
