The Gophers’ search for its next men’s basketball coach has a frontrunner: Niko Medved of Colorado State, the Pioneer Press has heard this week.

No announcement from the U appears imminent.

Colorado State coach Niko Medved applauds during the first half of the team’s First Four college basketball game against Virginia in the men’s NCAA Tournament, Tuesday, March 19, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. Medved looks like the top candidate for the Gophers coaching job. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

Medved is from Minnesota and has deep ties to the U. The 51-year-old coach is currently in his seventh season at Colorado State, where he is 140-84 and has made two NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Rams (24-9) will play Boise State in the Mountain West Tournament championship game Saturday evening. Colorado State appears to be in line for an NCAA Tournament spot next week.

Gophers Athletics Director Mark Coyle said late Thursday morning the U wanted to be “very efficient” in the search to replace Ben Johnson, who was fired early Thursday morning.

“I want to be respectful of where (candidates’ teams) are at,” Coyle told the Pioneer Press on Thursday. “I think it’s only fair to them and to their student-athletes and what they’re trying to do. But again, our goal is to be efficient and find the best candidate that can lead Minnesota to consistent winning the Big Ten Conference.”

Medved, a Roseville native, is currently making $1.7 million in the 2024-25 season, which is less than Ben Johnson’s $2 million. A buyout of approximately $3.7 million is owed to get Medved out of his Colorado State contract through 2030-31.

Medved’s biggest player-development success story is with Minneapolis native David Roddy. The 6-foot-4 Breck School alum became an All-American forward at Colorado State and was selected in the first round of the NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies 76ers. The third-year NBA player has played for Memphis, Phoenix, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Medved graduated from the University of  Minnesota and was a student manager at the U before taking his first full-time job at Macalester College in St. Paul. He was an assistant at Furman, Minnesota and Colorado State before his first head coaching job at Furman in 2013-14.

Medved has a career 220-93 record over 12 seasons, including four years at Furman through 2016-17 and one season at Drake (2017-18).

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