According to Jeff Goodman from Field of 68, Colorado State coach Niko Medved “is in the lead” to become the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.
Since the Gophers revealed Ben Johnson’s dismissal in a press release distributed after 1 a.m. central time on Thursday, Medved has appeared to be one of the top contenders for his successor. The 51-year-old, a native of Minneapolis, studied at Minnesota in the 1990s, served as a Gophers assistant coach for one season in the mid-2000s, and has achieved significant success at CSU in recent years.
Following their victory over Boise State in the Mountain West championship on Saturday, the Rams are advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the third occasion in four years. They’ve achieved a 25-9 record this season, are on a ten-game winning streak, and are listed among the top 50 in the country for both offensive and defensive efficiency (according to Kenpom). In 2022, Colorado State was a 6 seed and advanced from the First Four last year as a 10 seed.
Over seven seasons at CSU, Medved has achieved a 142-84 record, with a conference record of 78-50. Before his time in that role, he served as the head coach at Furman for four years and at Drake for one year. He started his coaching journey as an assistant at D-III Macalester in St. Paul, and subsequently at Furman, Minnesota, and Colorado State. Medved was part of the Gophers’ coaching staff during the 2006-07 season, when Dan Monson stepped down midway through the year.
Johnson, a Minnesota graduate as well, took on the role of first-time head coach when he was appointed by the Gophers in 2021. He finished with a record of 56-71 (22-57 in the Big Ten) over four seasons.
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