Minnesota was moving forward with plans to hire Niko Medved, the head coach of Colorado State, as its next basketball coach on Monday, according to a source familiar with the decision. Medved, a Twin Cities-area native and former student manager for the Gophers, led Colorado State to a near Sweet 16 appearance, with the team falling just one basket short.
Medved had been the top choice for the job at Minnesota, where athletic director Mark Coyle has been looking to rejuvenate the struggling program. He will take over for Ben Johnson, who was dismissed on March 13 after compiling a 56-71 record, including a 22-57 mark in Big Ten play, over four seasons.
Under Medved’s leadership, Colorado State finished the season with a 26-10 record. The Rams earned an upset win over No. 5 seed Memphis, 78-70, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 4 seed Maryland, 72-71, on a last-second shot. This was the third time in seven years that Medved led the Rams to 25 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth from the Mountain West Conference, one of the most competitive mid-major leagues in the nation. Colorado State also claimed the Mountain West championship two weeks ago with a win over Boise State, securing an automatic NCAA bid.
Niko Medved, 51, has spent 12 years as a head coach, including four seasons at Furman and a one-year stint at Drake. A native of Roseville, a suburb near the University of Minnesota, Medved earned degrees in kinesiology and sport management from the school. He also served as a team manager for the Gophers under coach Clem Haskins, who guided the team to their only Final Four appearance in 1997. Medved began his coaching career as an assistant at Macalester, a Division III school, before moving on to assistant roles at Furman, Minnesota, and Colorado State.
Medved received a contract extension last year, which included a substantial raise, bringing his salary to $1.7 million for the 2023-24 season. The extension also included option years, extending his deal through the 2030-31 season. Over his time at Colorado State, he compiled a 143-85 record, marking the second-best winning percentage in the program’s history. His overall coaching record stands at 222-173 after 12 seasons.
Minnesota struggled in the 2022-23 season, finishing with a 9-22 record and just 2-17 in Big Ten play. However, the team showed improvement in 2023-24, earning a spot in the NIT with a 19-15 finish. This season, the Gophers tied for the third-worst record in the Big Ten, ending with a 15-17 overall record.
In the 28 years since Minnesota’s only Final Four appearance, which was later vacated by the NCAA due to a series of academic fraud revelations reported in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Gophers have made the NCAA Tournament only seven times and secured just two wins. Over the past 20 seasons, Minnesota has posted a winning record in Big Ten play only once, going 11-7 in the 2016-17 season under coach Richard Pitino.
Medved’s buyout from Colorado State is approximately $3.7 million, which is 33% of the remaining value on his contract. In comparison, Ben Johnson, who earned an annual salary of $1.95 million—the lowest in the Big Ten—had a buyout of around $2.9 million. This transition comes at a significant cost for athletic director Mark Coyle, who is aiming to restore the program’s relevance both locally and in the competitive Big Ten, a challenge that will require increased financial support from the university as revenue-sharing becomes a bigger factor in college sports.
Ben Johnson faced the challenge of repeatedly rebuilding rosters at his alma mater during the early years of the transfer portal, with some of his top players being attracted by larger NIL deals at other schools. Though a Minneapolis native with deep ties to the state, Johnson struggled to effectively tap into local talent as a foundation for growth, raising questions about whether he was given a fair opportunity.
One of Johnson’s former assistants, Dave Thorson, had previously worked with Medved at Colorado State and could be a natural addition to a staff focused on recruiting the state of Minnesota. Minnesota consistently produces talent capable of competing at power conference levels, and Medved has already shown success in this area. He coached Minneapolis native David Roddy at Colorado State, who was selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft and now plays for the Houston Rockets.
“We need someone who embraces Minnesota,” said athletic director Mark Coyle after Johnson’s dismissal. “We need someone who can generate excitement. Ultimately, when you’re winning, people want to be part of that.”
