Sources: Gophers to hire Medved as hoops coach

By ESPN | Created at 2025-03-24 17:22:37 | Updated at 2025-04-06 15:42:39 1 week ago

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Colorado State celebrates knocking off 5-seed Memphis (0:19)

The Rams celebrate after pulling off the upset over Memphis, extending their winning streak to 11 games. (0:19)

  • Jeff Borzello

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    Jeff Borzello

    ESPN Staff Writer

    • Basketball recruiting insider.
    • Joined ESPN in 2014.
    • Graduate of University of Delaware.

Mar 24, 2025, 12:00 PM ET

Minnesota is expected to hire Colorado State's Niko Medved as its next head coach, sources told ESPN.

Medved's season ended Sunday night, with Colorado State losing 72-71 at the buzzer to 4-seed Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Rams had won 11 straight games, including a Mountain West conference tournament championship and a first-round win over 5-seed Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

This will mark a return home for Medved, a Minneapolis native who attended the University of Minnesota and spent a year with the Gophers as an assistant coach in 2006-07.

Medved has led Colorado State to the NCAA tournament in three of the past four seasons, winning a game in each of the past two. The Rams went 25-6 in 2021-22, earning a 6-seed in the NCAA tournament but losing to Michigan in the first round.

Last season, Colorado State earned a First Four berth, where it blew out Virginia, 67-42, before losing to Texas.

In seven seasons with the Rams, Medved went 143-85.

Before taking over in Fort Collins, he spent one season at Drake and four seasons at Furman. He won a share of the Southern Conference regular-season title in 2017 with the Paladins.

At Minnesota, Medved replaces Ben Johnson, who was let go earlier this month after four seasons with the Gophers. He went 56-71 during his time at the helm.

The Gophers haven't been to the NCAA tournament since 2019 under Richard Pitino and haven't advanced past the first weekend of the tournament since Clem Haskins led them to a Final Four in 1997.

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