Dec 7, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Niko Medved during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Niko Medved reveals reason for coming back home to Minnesota: 'It was a no-brainer'

Originally posted on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated May 6, 2025 1:51 PM ET

It has been a little over two months since Niko Medved was officially hired as the next head coach of Gophers men's basketball. Despite his Colorado State Rams winning a game in the NCAA Tournament, the coaching search seemed pretty cut and dry.

Medved, a Roseville, Minn. native, spoke to national college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman on Monday with The Field of 68, and they talked about how the Gophers job differentiates from major conference head coaching offers that he had in the past.

"I've always been in this situation, I don't wanna be a coach where everybody says, 'You just gotta go to the power four, you just gotta get there.' If I didn't feel excited about something, I wasn't gonna do it, because I loved my situation in Colorado," Medved told Goodman. "This was different for a lot of reasons. I really believe we can be good here. I really do."

When Minnesota opted to move on from Ben Johnson after four seasons, Medved immediately became the top choice among experts. After leading Colorado State to the NCAA Tournament in three out of the last four seasons, it made too much sense for him to come home to his alma mater.

"Of course, being home is a factor. It's also having a vision and understanding what this job is, knowing all the people who are involved. Knowing the politics," Medved continued. "The other thing is, they really made me a priority right from the get-go. It really made me feel like, 'Hey, coach, we really want you. We really think you're a guy who can be successful here, we really want you to be successful.' You put all those things together... it was a no-brainer."

Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle said the school planned to do a nationwide search, but it quickly became the worst-kept secret in Minnesota that Medved was their guy. His sentiment confirms that Coyle and the administration made him a priority and quickly got a deal done.