The process to find the next Gophers men’s basketball coach has gone from a search to the waiting game.
While Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle and his staff are silently preparing to hire Ben Johnson’s replacement as soon as possible, Colorado State AD John Weber can’t help but talk about his coach’s future.
Rams coach Niko Medved, a Minnesotan and ex-Gophers assistant, is the favorite to take over at Minnesota, his alma mater. But Colorado State opens NCAA Tournament play at 1 p.m. Friday in Seattle as the 12th seed against fifth-seeded Memphis.
In an interview Wednesday morning with KOA Colorado 850 AM, Weber was asked if he had been contacted by other schools about Medved.
“Coach Medved is certainly an elite coach,” Weber told the radio station. “We’re blessed to have him with us.
“He’s taken us to the tournament three of the last four years. When he’s had that level of success, there’s always going to be people that are knocking on your door. But we’re excited to have him as our coach and look forward to that continuing.”
Medved, who hasn’t addressed the Minnesota rumors, is 142-84 during his seven-year tenure in Fort Collins. That includes five 20-win seasons, three NCAA Tournament appearances and the first Mountain West tournament title in 22 years. He signed a contract through the 2030-31 season.
The Gophers finished 15-17 under Johnson this season and are currently in the hands of assistant coach Dave Thorson, who was Medved’s assistant at Colorado State before leaving in 2021 to join Johnson’s staff.
