Done Deal! - MINNESOTA HIRES NIKO MEDVED!!

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dbmn said:
Coyle's job is to hire the best coach, and he failed in 2020 regardless of the administration's undocumented requirements and obstacles. Medved was towards the top of the list in 2020 too. Still think Coyle failed with CBJ hire in 2020 and with the L Whalen on the woman's side. Coyle needs to feel the hot seat until men's bb is turned around, ie they're selected for NCAA tourney.
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And who is to blame if he's not allowed to do his job?
 

Boom!
scools12 said:
This time around Coyle made the correct and obvious hire.

Well done 👍🏻
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I didn't trust Coyle to get this done- but I was wrong. He did the right thing, wrapped up Medved right after Ben was fired. He was ready and he executed. I now, cannot help but think that Niko was the guy Coyle wanted 4 years ago as well, but was over ruled. Had Coyle not moved quickly we would have had to battle this out with WV and others. Well done by Coyle! Next step is to give him fully monetary backing and get this thing rolling!
 

dpodoll68 said:
What else is Pitino going to say? "They gave me everything I needed, I just suck at coaching, so I lost anyway." It's human nature to blame external factors for one's failure to succeed. This isn't to say that the U couldn't do more (they definitely could), but he needs to look in the mirror for the main cause of his shortcomings.
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We have been mediocre for the vast majority of the last quarter century. At the same time we are in one of the best conferences in the country, we have been one of the more prestigious major research Universties, we have a massive student body and our state has produced several elite basketball talents.

This isn't just the coaches. Pitino, Johnson, Tubby, Monson were not simply awful coaches who held us down. The program has had lots of issues and we need to raise the bar.
 

From the ESPN article: "The Gophers haven't been to the NCAA tournament since 2019 under Richard Pitino and haven't advanced past the first weekend of the tournament since Clem Haskins led them to a Final Four in 1997."

Wait, I thought we weren't allowed to acknowledge that. Put the banner back up.
 

Obi-Wan Okogie said:
The University needs to support him. Pitino did an interview the other day and talked about how U of M doesn't give enough support to the program. Niko also is going to have to work his ass off to get NIL money. We wont turn things around if we don't step it up from every angle. Tired of the U seeming like a lesser option. LETS GO!
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Sharing the quotes from that interview via KFAN:
I think Pitino is referencing the school, but more broadly the Twin Cities community. I think he's right, but part of the coach's job is to figure out how to generate that support.
 


Scottsdale Gopher said:
Sharing the quotes from that interview via KFAN:
I think Pitino is referencing the school, but more broadly the Twin Cities community. I think he's right, but part of the coach's job is to figure out how to generate that support.
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However Haskins did it, he did it. This was a Gopher basketball town during his tenure.
 


Obi-Wan Okogie said:
We have been mediocre for the vast majority of the last quarter century. At the same time we are in one of the best conferences in the country, we have been one of the more prestigious major research Universties, we have a massive student body and our state has produced several elite basketball talents.

This isn't just the coaches. Pitino, Johnson, Tubby, Monson were not simply awful coaches who held us down. The program has had lots of issues and we need to raise the bar.
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Nah, it really is just the coach. This is the first time since at least Haskins' hiring that we have a coach who we hired at the right time and meets the profile. Yet again, we could've done better, but this is a perfectly defensible hire in all respects. I look forward to your eating crow when we are shown what is possible with a base level of competency.
 

MNVCGUY said:
This one played out just like the Fleck hire. He identified the coach he wanted and went out and got him. Definitely provides more evidence that others were influencing/pulling the strings during the last basketball hire.
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I still hold the position we will never know for sure, but this certainly does give credence that the CBJ hire was not totally and solely his decision. It certainly appears there was meddling involved by then prez Gable and perhaps other 'local' BB enthusiasts.

The AAU crap never materialized as advertised.
 



HopHead said:
From the ESPN article: "The Gophers haven't been to the NCAA tournament since 2019 under Richard Pitino and haven't advanced past the first weekend of the tournament since Clem Haskins led them to a Final Four in 1997."

Wait, I thought we weren't allowed to acknowledge that. Put the banner back up.
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When Jeff Shelman was the beat writer here, he gave a thorough explanation why his historical reference included the vacated stuff. I had been on the fence about the matter until I read it, and it made perfect sense. History is historical, not administrative. What happened is what happened. The commies whitewash history; journalists need to report it.
 








Dave H said:
I was told he was going to West Virginia because of his father in law...what happened? ;)
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He wasn’t going there if he didn’t take the Minnesota job he was gonna stay in Colorado
 

Obi-Wan Okogie said:
We have been mediocre for the vast majority of the last quarter century. At the same time we are in one of the best conferences in the country, we have been one of the more prestigious major research Universties, we have a massive student body and our state has produced several elite basketball talents.

This isn't just the coaches. Pitino, Johnson, Tubby, Monson were not simply awful coaches who held us down. The program has had lots of issues and we need to raise the bar.
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100% correct. I've been around long enough to see how it can be (Dutcher/McHale/Thompson/Saunders), and it can be again. Every year recently it seems like there has always been a built in excuse to not thrive. In 2025-26 having the money coming from an elite conference and expanded Big Ten coffers, a beautiful facility for student athletes, and a known but fresh face coming in as Head Coach, there really aren't many excuses to not be competitive--other than the fact that every other BTN program will say the same thing!
 

In this age of college hoops, time is of the essence. Glad Coyle understood the assignment and identified the right guy right away. This hire gives me PJ Fleck-levels of hope.
 
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Obi-Wan Okogie said:
We have been mediocre for the vast majority of the last quarter century. At the same time we are in one of the best conferences in the country, we have been one of the more prestigious major research Universties, we have a massive student body and our state has produced several elite basketball talents.

This isn't just the coaches. Pitino, Johnson, Tubby, Monson were not simply awful coaches who held us down. The program has had lots of issues and we need to raise the bar.
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It is mostly the coaches we chose poorly multiple times in a row. Frankly, we’ve done the same thing with our A.D. hires for close to a half century. Realistically, and even with all of his significant warts, Coyle is probably the best one we’ve had and it pains me to say that.
 


Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
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Great hire! An experienced and successful head coach, an alum and Minnesotan, and a good man. Niko is the most recent winner of the Skip Prosser Award for a NCAA D1 basketball coach who exhibits strong moral character. Checks all the boxes for me!
 

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