Ben Johnson fired: 5 Minnesota basketball head coach candidates

Niko Medved

Medved is a Minneapolis native who attended the University of Minnesota before beginning his coaching career in the late 1990s. After spending time as an assistant at Furman, with the Golden Gophers and at Colorado State, Medved was hired as a head coach for the first time at Furman in 2013 and later spent one season at Drake before settling into his current job back at Colorado State. The 51-year-old has had a successful seven-year tenure with the Rams, going 131-82 with five 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Medved has also proven he can recruit, evidenced by bringing players like Wisconsin All-American John Tonje to Fort Collins several years ago. Medved is someone who could turn the Gophers around quickly, and his familiarity with the program and the state would likely prove beneficial.