After signing a national letter of intent with Notre Dame, Gottlieb was their starting point guard during the 1995–96 college basketball season, starting all but the first four games and leading the team with 154 assists as well as steals and minutes played. Gottlieb was widely known at this time for his efficient ball-handling skills. He left Notre Dame after an incident in which he stole a classmate's credit card and used it to charge multiple purchases. Gottlieb transferred from the Notre Dame program as a result of the incident.