Michigan
Michigan Tech coach after win over Green Bay: ‘Nobody U’ wasn’t dig by Doug Gottlieb
If you want to say Michigan Tech is in the middle of nowhere, we’ll allow it. The men’s basketball team traveled four hours by bus to Green Bay for a game Wednesday, and then four hours back to campus in Houghton, in the ear of the Upper Peninsula, and that’s the shortest road trip it will have all season.
Just don’t called Michigan Tech “Nobody U,” not anymore, not after the Division II program made national headlines Wednesday with its 72-70 win over Division I Green Bay.
The win came after Green Bay’s new head coach, sports-media personality Doug Gottlieb, made the “Nobody U” comment ahead of the Michigan Tech game ― though Gottlieb has insisted he wasn’t speaking specifically of Michigan Tech, and Michigan Tech head coach Josh Buettner didn’t take it personally, either.
Of course, that didn’t stop Buettner from using the clip of Gottlieb as motivation for his players in practice this week.
“I listened to his press conference. I’m not trying to squash (Gottlieb’s comments), but if you read the whole thing, I don’t think it’s a direct shot at us,” Buettner told The News after arriving back on campus Wednesday night. “(But) we had showed the guys (the clip). Any form of motivation you can get, you’re gonna do it.
“We were somewhat prepared that it would be a pretty big story (after Tech won) … and it’s even more than what I thought it would be. I’m happy for the guys. I’m happy for Michigan Tech.”
Gottlieb, 48, has been a lightning rod this season, his first as a Division I had basketball coach, in large part because he continues to host his daily talk show on Fox Sports Radio.
The double-dipping was embraced locally in Green Bay, because Gottlieb was certain to bring visibility to the program in an era where visibility ― and donor dollars ― are so paramount. Of course, visibility doesn’t seem like such a good thing anymore, as Green Bay is off to a 2-11 start after the loss to Michigan Tech (the game was an exhibition for Tech, but not for Green Bay), including eighth straight losses.
Green Bay’s struggles are so bad that it even led to an X (formerly Twitter) war of words between ESPN’s Adam Scheffter and Gottlieb on Tuesday, when Gottlieb questioned Schefter’s sources on a story, and Schefter responded by telling Gottlieb to spend less time on social media and more time coaching his team, as the losses are piling up.
“Obviously, everybody knows Coach Gottlieb’s gonna have a little bit of a target … hosting that radio show, he’s putting himself out there,” Buettner said. “He’s kind of in a no-win situation when the world’s looking at and listening to everything you have to say.”
Following Michigan Tech’s win Wednesday, before a crowd of more than 5,000 (including many Michigan Tech alums and fans) at Resch Center in Green Bay, many X users took a dig at Gottlieb over losing to “Nobody U.” Gottlieb took exception, saying he was “done with this crap” and that he never disrespected any opponent.
Buettner backs up Gottlieb’s comments, and even pointed out that Gottlieb was complimentary of Michigan Tech on a podcast leading up Wednesday’s game.
Gottlieb’s point with “Nobody U,” he said, was that he was going to have to rethink how he scheduled in the future. He scheduled tough this season, with games against Oklahoma State, Providence and Ohio State, and that it hasn’t looked pretty. And next up is a game at Drake, which is teetering on the brink of the Associated Press Top 25, on Saturday, It’s a fine line, Gottlieb said; he made the argument you can learn more your team losing to a power program that beating a low-level program, and that’s where he threw out the “Nobody U” line.
“We just happened to be the DII team that was coming up right after he said it,” Buettner said.
Michigan Tech, with the win Wednesday, sent a statement to the rest of a very good Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference that it means business. Michigan Tech is 7-3 on the season, including 2-0 in the GLIAC.
The Huskies won behind a 30-point game from junior guard Marcus Tomashek, who just happens to be a Green Bay native, but wasn’t recruited by the program in the years preceding Gottlieb’s stunning hiring in May. Tomashek is averaging 24.1 points on the season, not including the Green Bay exhibition. He’s scored 30 in a game three other times, and 40 once. It was fun to see, Buettner said, though he knows Wednesday’s performance almost certainly should put Tomashek on the Division I radar should be want to transfer up after the season.
Tomashek is one of 10 Wisconsin natives on Michigan Tech’s roster; the other six are Michigan natives. The school is academics first, known for its engineering. So Buettner, a former Michigan Tech standout, has played the long game since he was hired in April 2021, developing players out of high school. Many of those players are juniors and seniors now, and the fruits of his labor are shining through.
That’s the story Buettner wants to talk about, not the Gottlieb criticism. For the record, the two didn’t say much in the handshake line Wednesday. Gottlieb congratulated Buettner, and then walked away, to face a firestorm on X. Buettner, meanwhile, got in the bus, for the four-hour ride home ― a drive that, suddenly, didn’t seem so bad.
“It didn’t, and that’s short for us. The Chick-fil-A tasted great,” Buettner, whose team got paid a few thousand bucks to play Green Bay, said with a chuckle. “It was a great opportunity for us going into the Christmas break. … And people are talking about Michigan Tech, and Michigan Tech is a great university and a great place.
“It’s awesome for Michigan Tech. It’s a really good school in a unique part of the country.”
In the middle of nowhere, perhaps.
Nobody U, not so much.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
ROTHBURY, Mich. — Michigan State Police (MSP) detectives shared some more information Friday about their investigation of the infant death at this year’s Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury.
Troopers recently received a tip about a Muskegon woman who was said to have information about the incident, but after interviewing her and completing other necessary investigative steps, MSP said they ruled her out as a suspect.
A restroom vending company employee at the festival found the body of a neonate, a newborn infant who is four weeks old or younger, in a portable restroom in the festival camping area on June 28, according to troopers.
The festival is hosted at the Double JJ Resort, which was locked down to anyone entering the following day as police surrounded the scene.
Troopers are asking for tips from the public at michigan.gov/michtip.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Harmful algal blooms have been reported on two notable lakes in West Michigan: Gun Lake and Muskegon Lake.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says cyanobacteria was reported on Muskegon Lake July 3, but no tests have confirmed it.
The Barry-Eaton District Health Department says a harmful algal bloom was confirmed Thursday on Gun Lake. The lake remains open, but the BEDHD is encouraging visitors to use caution and avoid water that has “visible algae.”
Visitors are encouraged to avoid any contact with water that appears bright green, blue-green, brown or red or has “floating mats of scum.”
Pets should also avoid the water. If they come into contact with the algae, pets should be rinsed off as soon as possible with clean, fresh water.
Exposure to algae can cause a rash or irritation to the skin, eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever and trouble breathing.
“If you become sick, contact your healthcare provider. Seek medical care right away if you have trouble breathing, severe vomiting, or other serious symptoms,” the BEDHD said in a statement. “If your pet was exposed, rinse them well with clean water and do not let them lick their fur until they have been washed. Contact your veterinarian right away if your pet has vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, trouble walking, excessive drooling, shaking, or seizures.”
Harmful algal blooms are powered by the sudden growth of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria occur naturally in lakes, rivers and ponds but is often boosted by a sudden excess of nutrients, often caused by fertilizer runoff from farms or failed septic systems.
They can last for several days and sometimes even months. The water will look “scummy” or like “spilled paint or pea soup.” They are typically found in the summer and fall — usually peaking in August or September and dying off by the end of October.
You can report a suspected harmful algal bloom to EGLE at AlgaeBloom@Michigan.gov or 1.800.662.9278.
Sterling Stamping Plant is the largest in the world
Ed Daniels, vice president of North America injection and stamping operations, discusses the process of producing metal parts for Stellantis models.
Warren — Hulking metal presses line one wall of Stellantis NV’s cavernous stamping plant here, punching out the raw shapes of Jeep doors, Dodge hoods and Ram tailgates in rapid succession.
Nearby, swinging yellow robots continue the tightly choreographed work, gluing and pressing and welding smaller components to the sheet metal that eventually will start to resemble the shape of a truck or SUV.
Seven miles north, in Sterling Heights, Stellantis operates an even larger stamping plant — the biggest in the world, at 2.7 million square feet — that does much of the same work, churning out various shapes of steel and aluminum 24 hours a day.
Together, these lesser-known links in the manufacturing supply chain support all of Stellantis’ big North American assembly plants — from next-door Warren Truck Assembly Plant, where the Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV is built, to facilities in Windsor and Mexico that make minivans and pickups.
Inside Stellantis’ Huge Detroit Stamping Plants
The Detroit News recently got a rare look inside the automaker’s Sterling and Warren stamping plants, which are key to the company’s turnaround plan.
The Metro Detroit stamping plants, the automaker’s only two such facilities in the United States, have at times struggled in recent years, facing major job cuts and worker morale issues amid slowing sales and shifting production plans. But under Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa, the facilities are expected to cram in more workload — and add staff — as Stellantis begins a new five-year strategic turnaround plan, which includes a heavy focus on its most profitable North American market.
The carmaker’s goal: grow sales by more than a third to 1.9 million annually by 2030 as it launches 23 vehicles, including 11 all-new models. The company also is directing billions of dollars of investment into its U.S. manufacturing footprint due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“Stamping has never really been viewed as the sexy side of automotive manufacturing, we’re relatively invisible,” said Ed Daniels Jr., vice president of North America injection and stamping operations. “Because when you look at the commercials and advertisements, it’s always a beautiful Ram rolling off the assembly line or climbing the side of a mountain.
“But we’re the inception of that vehicle,” he said. “This is where raw materials are turned into commodities and parts.”
The Detroit News recently got a rare look inside the two plants that combined employ about 3,000 people. The automaker wanted to show off a newly-installed blanking press at Warren Stamping and other machinery like a high-speed transfer press and a robot that spots flaws in the metal.
Hiring expected
The blanking press unspools long coils of metal and chops them up into pieces that can then be shaped into roofs, fenders and floor pans. Stellantis shipped the massive machine to Warren from its idled Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois last year.
After upgrades to the machine, executives said it’s able to produce as many as 120,000 metal blanks per week. It will save Stellantis money since the plant will no longer need to pay a supplier to break down the coils before the metal arrives there.
The blanker addition is a big deal for the plant and signals that the company wants to bring more work in-house and invest in the facility over the coming years, said Romaine McKinney III, president of United Auto Workers Local 869, which represents workers at the factory.
The plant has already brought back all of its laid-off UAW workers, and McKinney said he anticipates more hiring to get underway if sales grow and new Stellantis vehicles come to market.
In another corner of the Warren facility, one of the fastest press lines in the world — known internally as the Hellcat — pushes as many as 15 pieces of metal through per minute. Dies that weigh up to 50 tons apiece squish the material into the shapes of doors and hoods before robotic arms snatch them out and place them on conveyor belts. Midway through a shift, workers can reconfigure the machine to make a different component, a process that takes just five minutes.
Robots check for quality
Curtis Booth, who manages Warren Stamping, said manual processes inside the plant have become increasingly automated, and safer, over the last couple decades, even as the automaker’s two stamping factories still utilize some presses that were installed in the 1960s.
The latest high-tech addition is the Automated Body Inspection System, or ABIS. It’s a camera system mounted on a robot that automatically checks the quality of components and flags anything in need of repair.
Auto plants of all kinds are increasingly turning to these types of camera systems, infused with artificial intelligence, to catch flaws in sheet metal and other components before they are shipped. Booth said worker visual inspections are still used. But in some cases the human eye has too much subjectivity, and the ABIS removes the guesswork.
Greg Bauer, who manages Sterling Stamping, said his plant has added staff over the past year, and expects to continue hiring as more work is assigned to the facility. There is no space at the plant to add more presses, but officials have figured out how to increase efficiency — quickly toggling back and forth between making doors for a Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Charger on on a single machine, for example.
“We want to bring high-volume parts into the plant, and we want to maximize the capacity of the equipment,” Daniels said.
lramseth@detroitnews.com
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