University of Minnesota Athletics
Staff Directory
Gates, Armon
Armon Gates
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Armon Gates joined Medved's staff in March of 2025 after a two-year tenure at Oklahoma. While with the Sooners, Oklahoma advanced to a NCAA tournament berth in 2025 for the first time in four years.Â
Gates is no stranger to Big Ten play, having previously been an assistant coach at Oregon, Nebraska and Northwestern. Gates was an assistant at Oregon for the 2022-23 season. The Ducks finished 21-15 and were one of the final eight teams in the NIT.
Gates spent four seasons (2019-22) as an assistant coach at Nebraska. He was instrumental in developing Dalano Banton and Cam Mack. Banton was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft and was only the second player in program history to notch a triple-double. Gates tutored Mack to 2019-20 All-Big Ten honors. Mack finished third on Nebraska's single-season assist chart.
Prior to his time with the Huskers, Gates was at Northwestern for five seasons (2013-18). Gates helped the Wildcats tally a pair of 20-win seasons and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 2017. The Wildcats recorded a top-30 recruiting class in 2014 and the 24th-ranked class by 247Sports in 2018. Gates coached All-Big Ten performers Bryant McIntosh, Vic Law, Scottie Lindsey, Tre Demps and Drew Crawford. McIntosh finished fifth on the Big Ten's career assist list.
Gates also spent two seasons at Loyola Chicago (2011-13) during Porter Moser's first two seasons leading the program. During his time with the Ramblers, Ben Averkamp earned All-Horizon League honors. Averkamp was the first Loyola player in five seasons to earn first- or second-team all-conference recognition.
During the 2010-11 season, Gates served as an assistant coach at TCU and developed Hank Thorns, who earned third-team All-Mountain West Conference accolades. Thorns ranked fourth nationally in assists per game (7.0) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7). His 225 assists were the second highest total in a single season in Mountain West history.
Gates also served two seasons (2008-10) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Kent State. The Golden Flashes won the 2009-10 Mid-American Conference regular season title.
As a player for the Golden Flashes, Gates helped the program to an 88-42 record, four consecutive 20-win seasons and a trio of postseason appearances. At the conclusion of his playing days, he ranked second in school history with 200 3-point field goals.Â
Gates graduated from Kent State in 2005 with a degree in leisure studies and obtained his master's degree in sports administration in 2007. He played prep ball at Hillcrest High School and spent one season at Brewster (N.H.) academy.
Gates and his wife Ashley have two daughters (Gaida and Milan) and two sons (Kaiere and Blaze). Gates' older brother, Dennis, is the University of Missouri head men's basketball coach.
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Gates is no stranger to Big Ten play, having previously been an assistant coach at Oregon, Nebraska and Northwestern. Gates was an assistant at Oregon for the 2022-23 season. The Ducks finished 21-15 and were one of the final eight teams in the NIT.
Gates spent four seasons (2019-22) as an assistant coach at Nebraska. He was instrumental in developing Dalano Banton and Cam Mack. Banton was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft and was only the second player in program history to notch a triple-double. Gates tutored Mack to 2019-20 All-Big Ten honors. Mack finished third on Nebraska's single-season assist chart.
Prior to his time with the Huskers, Gates was at Northwestern for five seasons (2013-18). Gates helped the Wildcats tally a pair of 20-win seasons and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 2017. The Wildcats recorded a top-30 recruiting class in 2014 and the 24th-ranked class by 247Sports in 2018. Gates coached All-Big Ten performers Bryant McIntosh, Vic Law, Scottie Lindsey, Tre Demps and Drew Crawford. McIntosh finished fifth on the Big Ten's career assist list.
Gates also spent two seasons at Loyola Chicago (2011-13) during Porter Moser's first two seasons leading the program. During his time with the Ramblers, Ben Averkamp earned All-Horizon League honors. Averkamp was the first Loyola player in five seasons to earn first- or second-team all-conference recognition.
During the 2010-11 season, Gates served as an assistant coach at TCU and developed Hank Thorns, who earned third-team All-Mountain West Conference accolades. Thorns ranked fourth nationally in assists per game (7.0) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7). His 225 assists were the second highest total in a single season in Mountain West history.
Gates also served two seasons (2008-10) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Kent State. The Golden Flashes won the 2009-10 Mid-American Conference regular season title.
As a player for the Golden Flashes, Gates helped the program to an 88-42 record, four consecutive 20-win seasons and a trio of postseason appearances. At the conclusion of his playing days, he ranked second in school history with 200 3-point field goals.Â
Gates graduated from Kent State in 2005 with a degree in leisure studies and obtained his master's degree in sports administration in 2007. He played prep ball at Hillcrest High School and spent one season at Brewster (N.H.) academy.
Gates and his wife Ashley have two daughters (Gaida and Milan) and two sons (Kaiere and Blaze). Gates' older brother, Dennis, is the University of Missouri head men's basketball coach.
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Thursday, September 18
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