For Gophers assistant Dave Thorson, it all started at Hamline — Minnesota’s next opponent

Dave Thorson’s voice was heard piercing through the silence at Williams Arena on a Saturday afternoon this month, during a Gophers exhibition game against Bemidji State.

Anyone around DeLaSalle high school games during Thorson’s legendary 23 seasons knows that voice well. Not as many folks recall the days when the fourth-year U assistant was on the other side of those teaching moments as a player at Hamline.

Now, Thorson’s alma mater will face the Gophers on Tuesday at the Barn, Minnesota’s final exhibition game before the Nov. 6 regular-season opener vs. Oral Roberts.

“I’m so old that no one remembers when I played,” joked Thorson, who was known for outworking teammates in practice and being a sponge for knowledge with the Pipers.

The St. Paul school known as the birthplace of intercollegiate basketball hosted the first ever college game in 1895. No, Thorson’s not that old.

But Thorson was excited to make the trek from Fargo South in 1985 to playing for well-known Pipers coach Tim Mieure, still No. 2 all-time in career victories for Hamline.

Mieure planted the coaching seed in Thorson, who eventually became a Gophers assistant with Clem Haskins before later setting a Minnesota high school record with nine state titles at DeLaSalle from 1998-2017, including six in a row.

“Coach Mieure, he put me in a position that I was actually kind of a third assistant coach as a player,” said Thorson, a 1989 Hamline graduate. “I’ve always been a lifelong learner.”

Hamline coach Jim Hayes, who played for Mieure from 1990-94, takes pride in the connection he shares with Thorson as a fellow Piper that led to matching up with the Gophers this year.

“We are very excited and appreciative to have the opportunity to play the Gophers,” Hayes said. “Anyone who has followed basketball in Minnesota remembers how dominant [Thorson’s] DeLaSalle teams were, playing with a defensive tenacity and toughness unmatched at the time. It has been fun to see him transition back to the Division I level and bring his expertise to the Gophers.”

During the 1989-90 season, Thorson went from playing at Hamline to starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at South Dakota. He then was a volunteer assistant with the Gophers for two seasons before holding full-time assistant duties for Haskins from 1992-94, including as a lead recruiter.

“The reality is I think I’m a great example of how relationships matter,” Thorson said. “That’s also how Ben [Johnson] does things in our program. That piece of it has been rewarding in that regard. At all levels I do know a lot of people in the basketball community here. Relationships are gold.”

Thorson’s two-decades-long DeLaSalle dominance included two state titles with Johnson as a player. Past relationships are why he decided to return to college coaching in 2017 at Drake to help his old friend, Niko Medved, an ex-Gophers student manager with Haskins.

A three-year stint with Medved at Colorado State included going from 12 wins to back-to-back 20-win seasons and recruiting former Breck star and current NBA player David Roddy.

Three years ago, it seemed like a no-brainer for Johnson to ask Thorson to join him with the Gophers. A big reason the U took a gamble on a rookie coach was to recruit Minnesota. Johnson then called Thorson a “huge get for me personally,” and “the face that we know we all need here to help our brand.”

Similar to Colorado State under Medved, the Gophers experienced significant growth in Year 3 under Johnson, going from nine to 19 wins and the NIT last season. Thorson’s presence was a big boost.

“It only made sense when Ben got the job,” Thorson said. “Frankly, it’s probably the only place I would’ve come back to. Most importantly, because of Ben and my respect for him.”

Thorson’s deep connection with Minnesota extended to his family. They made the state their home for several years before moving with him to Iowa and Colorado. Now his wife, Rita, works at St. Croix Prep near Stillwater where their daughter attends high school.

Thorson’s proud of his history with the Gophers and Hamline. He’ll soon have ties with St. Thomas, too. Ella Thorson, a talented setter, committed to the Tommies for volleyball in the 2026 class.

“Ben values family, and that was a big part of our decision coming back here,” Thorson said.