Five things to know from Niko Medved’s first Gophers news conference

Niko Medved was all too familiar with The Minnesota Rouser as he joined the chants alongside mascot Goldy Gopher, cheerleaders and band members while being introduced as the U’s new men’s basketball coach.

Tuesday’s introduction was Medved’s first opportunity for the public to see him as the face of a program, but he arrived with a long history with the Gophers.

Medved, who spent the past seven seasons at Colorado State, was a former Gophers student manager, a former assistant and lifelong fan since his father had season tickets at Williams Arena before he was born.

The 51-year-old Roseville native talked about his ties to the program and state, but his vision for Gophers basketball stood out as family, boosters, players, other head coaches and media watched at the team’s practice facility.

“To be back here right now, it just feels surreal,” Medved said.

Here are five things to know from Medved’s first news conference:

Having a new boss who’s on the NCAA tournament selection committee, Medved already knows what the expectations will be under his direction. Not NCAA or bust in Year 1, but qualifying for the tournament certainly is his main goal.

“I think now in today’s era of college athletics, we’re more poised than ever to take the next step,” Medved said. “I look forward to seeing the Barn packed in a big game, maybe against a rival … finding a way to pull it out and having the fans celebrate. Seeing ourselves back in the NCAA tournament. Seeing ourselves playing in that game vying to go to the Sweet 16.”

Medved took Colorado State to the Big Dance three times in the past four seasons, including back-to-back years with NCAA tournament wins. The Gophers have been to the NCAA tournament only five times in the past 20 seasons, including their last appearance in 2019.

Medved’s first 12 years as a head coach have been at the midmajor level at Furman, Drake and Colorado State, so he was used to winning without resources the big dogs have in the Big Ten and other power conferences.

That won’t work with the Gophers, though.

“You can’t win if you don’t,” Medved said about his program having necessary financial backing. “I believe there’s plenty of people here who want to get behind and support this. Fans and people have an opportunity to directly impact success.”

Dinkytown Athletes, the Gophers' NIL collective, had its biggest one-day contribution after Medved’s hire was announced.

Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle already mentioned his commitment to investing more into men’s hoops [salaries, etc.], but there will also be the expected revenue sharing with athletes next season.

“We’re in a changing landscape with college athletics,” Medved said. “I believe Minnesota and the Big Ten … is going to be positioned from a rev share/NIL perspective to compete. I believe the people from the top down understand that’s what it’s going to take for us to compete. So I think you put all those things together and now is the time to really get this moving in the right direction.”

Some fans might be complaining about the storied home of the Gophers. Medved wouldn’t go there. Of course not. He did the opposite, showing some love for the old Barn.

“When that place is packed there’s a certain energy in there that’s different,” Medved said. “There’s ghosts in Williams Arena. You know what I mean? In a good way.”

Can the Gophers use the Barn as an advantage despite it being nearly 100 years old? Last season they went 2-8 in the Big Ten under Ben Johnson, but maybe things can change with the new regime. But it will take time, Medved said.

“I think we can turn that into a strength of the program,” he added. “Everybody is talking like ‘Oh, this is the problem.’ I think it can be a strength. I think it’s one of the most historic venues in all of college basketball. Have you been to Phog Allen [Kansas]? Have you been to Cameron Indoor Stadium [Duke]? … Sure, down the road, are there enhancements you might have to make or do some things to try to modernize it? Yeah. But I love walking in there.”

Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck and Medved shared an embrace for the cameras after the news conference, but there also might be some friendly competition for the most catchy program slogan soon.

It’s hard to imagine any new Gophers coach challenging Fleck’s “Row the Boat” mantra in Minnesota. But Medved has had success in the past with getting his players to believe in “Team Together,” which he puts in a hashtag on many of his X social media posts.

“It’s not ‘Row the Boat’,” Medved joked. “For me if you look at who I am, my players would tell you, I’m the most competitive person they’ve been around. … But the other thing with me is I really value team.

“I just always felt like I got into coaching because I want to be a part of something bigger than myself. I think if you can get people to do that, to kind of sacrifice something and really invest in others and the team, it’s really powerful.

“Things happen. To be great you need everybody involved. … [Team Together] is a slogan, but we try to live it as a way of life.”

What is the best Division I basketball team in Minnesota? Some people argue it is nearby St. Thomas, which made the jump from Division III to finishing second in the Summit League in the span of only a few years under longtime coach Johnny Tauer.

The Gophers didn’t want anything to do with playing the Tommies in basketball in the past, but that might change under Medved at some point. Wouldn’t that be a cool hoops rivalry to start in the Twin Cities?

“I talked to Johnny Tauer and I was begging him to play and he doesn’t even want to play,” Medved joked. “I’m open to doing that. He does a great job. My brother went to St. Thomas. I think it’s really cool to see them doing what they are doing. I think it’s awesome for basketball in the state of Minnesota.

“… It would be fun. I know if you play St. Thomas, you better buckle up because they’re really good. … Can I promise it’s going to be next year? No, but I could see that happening.”