Why Niko Medved is the perfect hire for the Gophers

The Gophers have officially hired Niko Medved as the new head coach, entering a new era of Minnesota men's basketball. When Minnesota opted to move on from Ben Johnson, Medved was immediately rumored as a top choice, and there is good reason why.

He knows how to win

The No. 1 statistic in determining the success of a head coach is record. Medved has a 222-172 (.563) overall record in 12 seasons. In his last four seasons at Colorado State, he guided the Rams t a 91-45 (.669) record. He might not have a gaudy record like Ben McCollum, but he turned the Rams into one of the most consistent programs in the Mountain West.

Colorado State had been to the NCAA Tournament three times since 1990 before Medved arrived and he took them to the big dance in three of the last four seasons. With notable nonconference wins over Creighton (twice), Mississippi State, South Carolina and Colorado over that time, it's clear that he outperformed expectations in Fort Collins.

Talent development

In his seven seasons at Colorado State, Meved has an impressive track record developing talent. Minneapolis native David Roddy was was an under-recruited high school player at Breck and he became a first-round pick. The Rams had produced only two first-round NBA Draft selections in their program's history and only one since 1963 before Roddy was the 23rd pick in 2022.

Isaiah Stevens was outside the top 300 prospects in the class of 2019 and he became a five-year starter for the Rams and one of their most productive players in program history. He's now on a two-way contract with the Miami Heat.

This year's star player, Nique Clifford, wasn't as hard of a recruiting pitch as a native of Colorado Springs. He began his college career at Colorado with the Buffaloes, but he reached another level with the Rams. He averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists this season and he has a great chance of being the program's next first-round pick.

Minnesota ties

Throughout this coaching search, there has been plenty of talk about how attractive the Gophers men's basketball job truly is. There is no denying that it's a unique position, which makes it important to bring in someone like Medved who understands the area and the program.

Medved is a native of Roseville, Minn., and he earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology (1997) and his master's in sports management (1999) from the University of Minnesota. He was a student manager under Clem Haskins and his parents have had season tickets for more than 40 years.

If he was from Siberia, he would still have an impressive resume, but the fact that he grew up a Gophers basketball fan miles away from the school is a cherry on top.

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