Gophers’ Mark Coyle was willing to wait for Niko Medved
Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle left the scorers table at the NCAA tournament game between Iowa State and Mississippi in Milwaukee on Sunday night. His prospective new men’s basketball coach, Niko Medved and Colorado State were going down the wire against Maryland in Seattle.
From a quiet room inside Fiserv Forum, the Rams took a lead in the final seconds, and Coyle’s daughter Grace asked, “What are we going to do” if Colorado State won and advanced to the Sweet 16?
“I was cheering for Colorado State because I wanted them to win,” Coyle said Tuesday. “But I said, ‘We are waiting.’ Grace Coyle had a good scoop. We were going to wait until they finished their tournament.”
Maryland hit the first buzzer-beater of March Madness seconds later and Grace’s question was moot. Medved was available to sign with Minnesota, and he was introduced at a news conference Tuesday on the U’s practice facility court.
Coyle moved quickly toward a new coach after firing Ben Johnson on March 13. He talked with Medved when the Rams were going into the Mountain West region and through the first round NCAA Tournament win over Memphis.
“I can tell you in my early conversations with Niko, I felt we were in a really, really good spot,” Coyle said.
Coyle prides himself on personally making coaching hires with some help from other U staffers. He keeps lists of candidates and doesn’t use search firms.
“We started to work on lists in February, early March,” Coyle said.
On the day Johnson was fired, Coyle immediately heard from other coaches’ agents. But were there other serious candidates?
“In terms of how many people we talked to, it was a very focused group,” Coyle said.
Thoughts on The Barn
From afar, Medved has heard “knocks” on the nearly 100-year-old Williams Arena, but he doesn’t buy that The Barn makes it tough to win at the U.
“I think we can turn that into a strength of the program,” he said. “Everybody is talking about, ’This is the problem.’ I think it can be a strength. I think it’s one of the most historic venues in all of college basketball. Have you been to Phog Allen (Fieldhouse in Kansas)? Have you been to Cameron Indoor Stadium?
“Now, sure, down the road, are there enhancements you might have to make and to try to modernize it? Yeah.”
Scheduling St. Thomas
Johnson did not want to play St. Thomas, and the U never played the Tommies after it jumped from NCAA Division III into Division I in 2021.
Medved, however, said he is “open” to that.
“I’m a competitive guy; it would be fun,” he said. “If you play St. Thomas, you’d better buckle up because they are really good. I can see that happening at some point.”
NIL on repeat
Medved faced multiple questions about name, image and likeness (NIL) funding and revenue sharing coming on line for players starting next season. One reporter said he would spare him another question on the topic.
“Listen, that is all we talk about,” Medved said. “It’s death, taxes, coaches talking about NIL.”
Earlier in the Q&A, Medved said he believes more money is needed in that space and that the U and boosters can provide what is necessary. But he also said he can find ways to win when he won’t have as much as his new Big Ten competitors.
Unnamed rivals
Medved grew up a Gophers fan in Roseville, so he knows the importance of the rivalries with Iowa and Wisconsin. But he didn’t name them Tuesday.
“I look forward to seeing The Barn packed,” he said. “A big game, maybe against a rival, OK, down south, down east and finding a way to pull it out, having our fans celebrate, seeing ourselves back in the NCAA Tournament.”
Staff coming together
Dave Thorson, who was on Ben Johnson’s staff after he worked with Medved at Colorado State and Drake, is expected to remain on the U staff. He gave a thumbs up to Medved when informally asked during the news conference.
One of Medved’s assistants with the Rams, Brian Cooley, and his director of player development, Joe De Ciman, are two other candidates to join Minnesota.
Colorado State’s associate head coach Ali Farokhmanesh is now the Rams’ interim head coach and expected to be named the permanent head coach.
Briefly
Former Gophers forward Frank Mitchell committed to St. Bonaventure on Tuesday; the Canadian entered the portal after Johnson’s firing. … Many Gophers players from last year’s team watched Medved’s news conference, and the most important player to retain is Isaac Asuma, the Cherry, Minn., guard coming off a promising freshman season. … Senior forward Parker Fox played the majority of last season through a meniscus injury in his knee. He will now have surgery on it. He dealt with that on top of a back issue and still played in all 32 games. … P.J. Fleck and the entire football coaching staff was in attendance. Fleck and Medved chatted after the news conference. … Volleyball coach Keegan Cook and women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit also were spotted.
Related Articles
- What did he say? Watch the replay of Gophers coach Niko Medved’s introductory press conference
- Details on new Gophers coach Niko Medved’s contract
- Frederick: If Niko Medved isn’t right coach for the Gophers, then right coach doesn’t exist
- Niko Medved named next Gophers men’s basketball coach
- Gophers coaching search can advance with Niko Medved’s Colorado State falling in NCAA Tournament
Topics
-
Gophers coaching search can advance with Niko Medved’s Colorado State falling in NCAA Tournament
The Gophers’ effort to bring in a new men’s basketball coach might have had a big domino fall in Seattle on Sunday. Colorado State and its head coach Niko Medved — the U’s top candidate for the job ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Details on new Gophers coach Niko Medved’s contract
New Gophers men’s basketball coach coach Niko Medved will earn $1 million more than what previous U coach Ben Johnson made last season, according to the U’s memorandum of understanding shared ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Gophers hire Medved as men's basketball coach
Minnesota has announced the hiring of Minneapolis native and Colorado State coach Niko Medved as its next men's basketball coach. Medved's season ended Sunday as the Rams lost at the buzzer to ...ESPN - 1d -
Niko Medved emerges as leading candidate to be next Gophers men’s basketball coach
The Gophers’ search for its next men’s basketball coach appears to have a frontrunner: Niko Medved of Colorado State, the Pioneer Press has heard this week. No announcement from the U is imminent. ...Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15 -
Watch new Gophers coach Niko Medved’s introductory press conference at noon
One day after his hiring was announced, new Minnesota men’s basketball coach Niko Medved will speak to the media at his introductory press conference at noon on Tuesday at the U’s practice ...Yahoo Sports - 23h -
Niko Medved was born into a family of Gophers basketball fans. Now he's their head coach
The gravitation toward the Gophers for Niko Medved began even before he was born, when his father bought the season tickets that would soon spark his young son's passion for college basketball. ...Yahoo Sports - 16h -
Women’s basketball: Gophers left out of NCAA tournament field
Dawn Plitzuweit made her pitch for an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament for her team prior to the Gophers’ a few days before the Gophers started the Big Ten conference tournament. The Big Ten ...Yahoo Sports - Mar. 17 -
Minnesota AD Coyle embarks on coach search with belief basketball program can return to prominence
The challenge at Minnesota of growing the men's basketball program into a consistent Big Ten contender has probably never been greater, considering the surging cost of competing in the current ...Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14 -
Niko Medved leaves Colorado State for his native Minnesota after an NCAA tournament run by the Rams
Minnesota agreed to a six-year contract with the Twin Cities-area native and former student manager for the Gophers who had the Rams within one basket of the Sweet 16.Yahoo Sports - 23h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Fantasy Baseball: Priority waiver wire pickups to make ahead of Opening Day
If you're wrapped up with your fantasy baseball draft but still find your lineup lacking, Andy Behrens is here to help.Yahoo Sports - 16m -
Snead and Mcvay excited for the new look Adams brings to the Rams
Les Snead was showing high praise for new Ram Davante Adams recently on the Pat Mcafee showYahoo Sports - 18m -
2025 NBA Draft scouting report: Alex Karaban, F, Connecticut
Karaban projects as a deep-range sniper, though his shot fell off this past year with UConn.Yahoo Sports - 19m -
NFL draft: Browns schedule top 30 visit with Texas Football WR Isaiah Bond
The Browns are showing significant interest in Texas Football WR Isaiah Bond, scheduling their second NFL draft visit with the playmakerYahoo Sports - 19m -
Andy Farrell reveals ‘75-man’ longlist for Lions tour and Irish core in coaching team
Lions head coach Andy Farrell has turned to three of his assistants from the Irish set-up – Simon Easterby, Andrew Goodman and John Fogarty – to form the spine of his coaching team for the tour to ...Yahoo Sports - 20m
More in Sports
-
Sources: QB Wilson, Giants agree to 1-year deal
The Giants and free agent QB Russell Wilson reached agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $21 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal eliminates New York as a potential option this ...ESPN - 10m -
Sources: Diggs, Pats agree on 3-year, $69M deal
Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots reached an agreement on a three-year, $69 million deal that includes $26 million guaranteed.ESPN - 10m -
Lillard out indefinitely due to blood clot in calf
Bucks guard Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and is out indefinitely.ESPN - 10m -
Sources: Pitino set to leave Lobos for Xavier job
Xavier is expected to hire New Mexico's Richard Pitino as its next head coach, sources told ESPN on Tuesday night.ESPN - 10m -
Ovechkin scores No. 889, now 6 from NHL record
Alex Ovechkin scored the 889th goal of his career to move six goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record as he helped the Capitals to a point before the Jets rallied in overtime to secure ...ESPN - 10m