University of Minnesota Athletics
Men's Basketball
Thorson, Dave
Dave Thorson
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Niko Medved has announced that Dave Thorson will continue his role as assistant coach of the Golden Gophers. Thorson began his second tenure with the maroon and gold in 2021.
Thorson, who is one of the most decorated coaches to grace a sideline in Minnesota, reunites with Medved after serving as an assistant with Medved for three years at Colorado State from 2018-21 and one year at Drake in the 2017-18 season. The duo were also with Golden Gopher men's basketball under former coach Clem Haskins when Medved was a student manager.
Thorson was a part of the Minnesota staff that developed Dawson Garcia as a three-time All-Big Ten selection and top 10 in Gopher career scoring. Garcia led Minnesota in points and rebounds all three of his seasons, including 614 points in 2024-25, which ranked top five in the Big Ten.
At Colorado State, Thorson helped revive a program that won 11 games prior to his arrival. In his first year on staff, the Rams won 12 games and then posted 20 wins in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Colorado State advanced to the 2021 NIT Semifinals and finished the season 20-7. In his one season at Drake, the Bulldogs went 17-17 in 2017-18 after recording just seven wins the year prior.
Thorson's name is practically synonymous with amateur basketball in Minnesota. He was previously a Minnesota assistant coach from 1990-94 and then coached DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis for 23 years. At DeLaSalle, Thorson guided his teams to nine state championships, which included six consecutive and an overall record of 527-130.
The nine state championships are the most by a coach in state history while the six-year championship streak is also a state record. His teams also finished as state runners-up twice, third once and fourth once.
Thorson's teams captured 20 Tri-Metro Conference championships and won a conference record 72-straight games from 1998-02. He was named the Minnesota Class 3A Coach of the Year two times and was inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in October 2019.
Thorson, who coached Johnson at DeLaSalle, began his career as an assistant at South Dakota in 1989.
Thorson and his wife, Rita, have one child, a daughter Ella Ray.
Thorson, who is one of the most decorated coaches to grace a sideline in Minnesota, reunites with Medved after serving as an assistant with Medved for three years at Colorado State from 2018-21 and one year at Drake in the 2017-18 season. The duo were also with Golden Gopher men's basketball under former coach Clem Haskins when Medved was a student manager.
Thorson was a part of the Minnesota staff that developed Dawson Garcia as a three-time All-Big Ten selection and top 10 in Gopher career scoring. Garcia led Minnesota in points and rebounds all three of his seasons, including 614 points in 2024-25, which ranked top five in the Big Ten.
At Colorado State, Thorson helped revive a program that won 11 games prior to his arrival. In his first year on staff, the Rams won 12 games and then posted 20 wins in 2019-20 and 2020-21. Colorado State advanced to the 2021 NIT Semifinals and finished the season 20-7. In his one season at Drake, the Bulldogs went 17-17 in 2017-18 after recording just seven wins the year prior.
Thorson's name is practically synonymous with amateur basketball in Minnesota. He was previously a Minnesota assistant coach from 1990-94 and then coached DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis for 23 years. At DeLaSalle, Thorson guided his teams to nine state championships, which included six consecutive and an overall record of 527-130.
The nine state championships are the most by a coach in state history while the six-year championship streak is also a state record. His teams also finished as state runners-up twice, third once and fourth once.
Thorson's teams captured 20 Tri-Metro Conference championships and won a conference record 72-straight games from 1998-02. He was named the Minnesota Class 3A Coach of the Year two times and was inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in October 2019.
Thorson, who coached Johnson at DeLaSalle, began his career as an assistant at South Dakota in 1989.
Thorson and his wife, Rita, have one child, a daughter Ella Ray.
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