University of Minnesota Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Head Coach
A new era in Golden Gopher Basketball started when Niko Medved was named the University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach on March 24, 2025. Medved, a Roseville, Minn., product and Minnesota graduate, is the 19th head coach in program history.
Medved completed his first year with the Gophers and 13th season as a head coach marking a 237-190 career record. In his first year with the Gophers, Medved constructed a roster of just two returners and 13 newcomers and guided the Gophers to a 15-18 overall record. Minnesota established an 8-12 record in the Big Ten, which placed the Gophers 11th in the league standings. Of those eight wins, three came against ranked opponents. In addition, Cade Tyson was named All-Big Ten honorable mention and NABC all-district honors. Minnesota was also invited to postseason play as the Gophers competed in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.
Medved, who earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Minnesota, returned to his alma mater after a seven-year head coaching stint at Colorado State. It marks the second time Medved has been a coach at Minnesota, as he was an assistant coach during the 2006-07 season. Medved started his collegiate basketball career at Williams Arena when he served as a student manager under former Gopher coach Clem Haskins.
Medved completed a historic run at Colorado State, as the Rams competed in the NCAA Tournament three of the last four years he was there. In the 2024-25 season, Medved led Colorado State to a Mountain West tournament championship and automatic NCAA Tournament berth, where they advanced to the Round of 32 with a First Round win over Memphis. Nique Clifford went on to be drafted 24th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings and became Medved’s second player drafted in three years.
In 2023-24, Medved led Colorado State to its highest ranking in school history, as the Rams reached No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 12 in the Coaches Poll. The Rams earned an NCAA Tournament at-large bid and defeated Virginia for the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2012. Medved’s first NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2022, which was the program’s first in nine seasons. Medved was also the College Insider’s recipient of the 2023-24 Skip Prosser Man of the Year award, which is presented annually to the Division I coach who wins with integrity, on and off the court.
In his time with the Rams, Medved recorded the second-most wins (143) in program history and was the fifth coach in school history to reach 100 wins. He was Colorado State’s only coach to record 20 or more wins in a season five times. Medved was named the United States Basketball Writers Association’s District Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2021.
During Medved’s time, Colorado State had a first-team All-Mountain West selection for seven consecutive years: Nico Carvacho (2019, 2020), David Roddy (2021, 2022), Isaiah Stevens (2023, 2024) and Nique Clifford (2025). In all, there were 18 all-conference selections, including Roddy as the 2022 Mountain West Player of the Year. In addition, the Rams also had five NABC and USBWA all-district honorees under Medved’s watch. Roddy was named a 2021 All-America selection and went on to be the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft and currently playing with the Toronto Raptors. Stevens became Colorado State’s all-time leading scorer and assist leader at 2,350 points and 853 assists, respectively. He is currently on a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings.
Before his time at Colorado State, Medved spent the 2017-18 season at Drake, where the Bulldogs went 17-17 overall and were 10-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference. That mark placed the Bulldogs third in the league that season, a five-game league win improvement from the previous year. Their 17-win season placed the Bulldogs in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, which was Drake’s first postseason competition in six years.
Medved began his head coaching career at Furman, where he led the Paladins from 2013-17. His stint there was capped off by a 2017 Southern Conference regular season championship and Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors. It was Furman’s first regular season championship in 26 years and first 20-win season since 2011. Medved twice coached the Southern Conference Player of the Year in Stephen Croone (2015-16) and Devin Sibley, Jr. (2016-17). After taking over a seven-win team, Furman improved each year under Medved with nine, 11, 19 and 23-win seasons, including two CollegeInsider.com Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017.
After serving as a Gopher student manager, Medved began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Macalester College from 1997-99. He then was an assistant coach at Furman from 1999-2006 before returning to Minnesota for the 2006-07 season. Medved was also an assistant coach at Colorado State from 2007-13 before beginning his head coaching career at Furman in 2013.
Medved earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology (1997) and his master’s in sport management (1999) from the University of Minnesota.
He and his wife, Erica, have two daughters, Aly and Taylor.
Coaching Career
1997-99 Macalester College (Assistant Coach)
1999-06 Furman (Assistant Coach)
2006-07 Minnesota (Assistant Coach)
2007-13 Colorado State (Assistant Coach)
2013-17 Furman (Head Coach)
2017-18 Drake (Head Coach)
2018-25 Colorado State (Head Coach)
Head Coach Career
Year School Overall (Conf.)
2013-14 Furman 9-21 (3-13)
2014-15 Furman 11-22 (5-13)
2015-16 Furman 19-16 (11-7)
2016-17 Furman 23-11 (14-4)
2017-18 Drake 17-17 (10-8)
2018-19 Colorado State 12-20 (7-11)
2019-20 Colorado State 20-12 (11-7)
2020-21 Colorado State 20-8 (14-4)
2021-22 Colorado State 25-6 (14-4)
2022-23 Colorado State 15-18 (6-12)
2023-24 Colorado State 25-11 (10-8)
2024-25 Colorado State 26-10 (16-4)
2025-26 Minnesota 15-18 (8-12)
13 Years 237-190 (129-107)
Medved File
Hometown: Roseville, Minn.
College: Minnesota, 1997 (B.S. Kinesiology), 1999 (M.A. Sports Management)
Head Coaching Experience
2013-17: Furman
2017-18: Drake
2018-25: Colorado State
2025-present: Minnesota
Coaching Accolades
• Named the Minnesota head coach on March 24, 2025 after a seven-year stint at Colorado State
• 13 years of head coach experience
• Went 143-85 at CSU and led the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a Mountain West Tournament title
• Only coach in CSU history to record 20 or more wins in a season five times
• USBWA District Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2021
• Coached David Roddy All-America honors as well as Mountain West Player of the Year and was the 23rd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
• Coached Isaiah Stevens, CSU's all-time leading scorer and currently with the Sacramento Kings organization
• Led Drake to its first postseason tournament in six years
• Was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 with Furman and regular season championship, the first in 26 years
• Coached back-to-back Southern Conference Players of the Year
Coaching Path
• Was a student manager for the Gophers from 1993-96
• Started his coaching career as an assistant at Macalester College (1997-99)
• Was an assistant coach before becoming head coach at Furman (1999-06), Minnesota (2006-07) and Colorado State (2007-13)
