BleedGopher
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Nadine has a great interview with Medved from 2014 when he brought his Furman squad to The Barn:
Furman University's Head Basketball Coach, Niko Medved, fell in love with the game of basketball at The Barn. His Father has had season tickets for over 40 years, and Medved has been a fan, a manager, an assistant to the Head Coach, and an Assistant Coach for the University of Minnesota. After many years, he's coming back to The Barn, but will be coaching against his hometown team. Medved is an example of how hard work, determination, constantly learning, finding excellent mentors, and having a very positive attitude can result in becoming a Head Coach at a Division 1 school. He talks about how having mentors like Dan Monson, Jim Molinari, Tim Miles and Larry Eustachy have shaped his career, and where he wants to take this Furman program.
NB: Being from MN you have so many MN ties with the Gophers and in the state. For those who don't know, please tell me about all the roles you've had with the Gophers? You started out as a manager, correct?
NM: I'll tell you what's even neater than that, my family, my Dad's been a season ticket holder for over 40 years, and I really fell in love with basketball here in The Barn. When I was a kid, my Dad took me to the games when I was a little kid and that's how I fell in love with basketball, I really fell in love with Gopher basketball. I was fortunate enough to start as a manager, and eventually I became an assistant. There are a lot of special memories here. I've spent a lot of time at The Barn watching games, working, coaching games, so it is, it's a neat place, it's a special place, it will be fun to come back.
NB: How tough was it to be part of the season where Coach Monson got fired/resigned?
NM: That whole year for me was really surreal, the way that it all worked out. In your journey, you always have goals and it never goes the way you planned, and I'm so blessed to be where I am. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life. Working with great people like Jim Molinari, we became very very close, he and I got to work together. It's funny, two people get put in a place like that, and we had a blast that year, even though the season didn't go the way we wanted it to. We really had fun. Every day we were blessed to be doing what we were doing and coaching at a place that we loved with kids we enjoyed. I'll never forget that year, I grew up a lot.
NB: Speaking of Coach Mo, before I had even met you years ago, he had told me that you were going to be a great head coach someday. How does that feel to have someone with his experience and background say that about you before you were even an assistant coach?
NM: Did he really say that? I don't believe that (joking). That means a lot. He's a guy that I really really admire. I think a lot of people that don't follow college basketball closely don't realize, this guy's resume, and how terrific of a coach he is. Not only that but what a terrific person he is, he is really a mentor to me, he really helped me in so many ways and still does today. He's a guy I can lean on and always has great advice, he's been there and done that, and always knows to say the right thing at the right time.
NB: What emotions do you have coming back to The Barn?
NM: It really hasn't hit me yet. The game just kind of happened. We needed a game on this day, and MN was available,. I think this is an area that we'll recruit. I've been on this court so many times, I've been an assistant, manager, but now to be sitting up there coaching a game...it will be a neat feeling. MN is a terrific team this year, they're going to be a great challenge for us. I am excited, I get nervous before every game, but I'm sure I'll have a few extra butterflies before this one tips off.
NB: You've coached with Dan Monson, Jim Molinari, Tim Miles and Larry Eustachy…what was the key thing you learned with each of them?
NM: Wow, that's a great question. I thought Dan Monson was really a great manager of the program, he was very organized, he had every facet of his program organized. I thought he was genuine and really really a good person. People wanted to work for Dan, they enjoyed working for him. Being in his corner, I'm really excited to see him doing as well as he is at Long Beach State because I thought he got into a tough situation here at MN. When people look back at his tenure, people will think "Dan did a pretty dang good job." I'm really happy and not surprised at all that he's having the success he is at Long Beach State. Coach Mo is just a guy that people in college basketball know, you look at this guy's resume and the places he's been , what he's done, he's one of the best coaches in our business and even a better person. He's quiet, he goes under the radar for people that don't know him. Like I said, he's just been a real mentor for me and has taught me a lot about working and dealing with people, different situations, he's taken a lot of tough jobs in adverse situations and found ways to win. Tim Miles may have prepared me more than anybody to be a head coach. When I had an opportunity to work with him he gave me so much responsibility and allowed me to do so many things that a head coach would do, and he put a lot on my plate that really prepared me, and I'm forever grateful for him doing that. I thought that opportunity really prepared me to be a head coach, and going through that process with him starting from ground zero and building it the way he did. Larry Eustachy….I think he was the 1st coach in NCAA history to win 25+ games at 5 different schools. They're 11-0 this year about to go in the top 25. He's just a winner. He's an old school coach, he gets the most out of his players, he's incredibly smart. Great feel for basketball, he never misses anything. He's the kind of guy, if he's watching something at practice or a game, if you watch it on film, it's exactly the way that he said it. I really learned a lot from him as well. All those guys really played a role in molding me where I am today.
NB: How well do you know Richard Pitino?
NM: I've met him, I don't know him well personally. He's done a terrific job, he's got great energy, his kids play really really hard and they play a really really aggressive style. I'm close with Ben Johnson, I know him well. He does a terrific job, and I've gotten to know Dan McHale a little bit. I just think he does a great job. He's innovative, he's brought a completely different style of play here. You can really see his kids buying into that style. When you watch a team play, I think very quickly, he got those kids to buy into the way he needed them to play. I think they play with great energy and together. They've bought in, and that shows he's really coaching them up.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
Furman University's Head Basketball Coach, Niko Medved, fell in love with the game of basketball at The Barn. His Father has had season tickets for over 40 years, and Medved has been a fan, a manager, an assistant to the Head Coach, and an Assistant Coach for the University of Minnesota. After many years, he's coming back to The Barn, but will be coaching against his hometown team. Medved is an example of how hard work, determination, constantly learning, finding excellent mentors, and having a very positive attitude can result in becoming a Head Coach at a Division 1 school. He talks about how having mentors like Dan Monson, Jim Molinari, Tim Miles and Larry Eustachy have shaped his career, and where he wants to take this Furman program.
NB: Being from MN you have so many MN ties with the Gophers and in the state. For those who don't know, please tell me about all the roles you've had with the Gophers? You started out as a manager, correct?
NM: I'll tell you what's even neater than that, my family, my Dad's been a season ticket holder for over 40 years, and I really fell in love with basketball here in The Barn. When I was a kid, my Dad took me to the games when I was a little kid and that's how I fell in love with basketball, I really fell in love with Gopher basketball. I was fortunate enough to start as a manager, and eventually I became an assistant. There are a lot of special memories here. I've spent a lot of time at The Barn watching games, working, coaching games, so it is, it's a neat place, it's a special place, it will be fun to come back.
NB: How tough was it to be part of the season where Coach Monson got fired/resigned?
NM: That whole year for me was really surreal, the way that it all worked out. In your journey, you always have goals and it never goes the way you planned, and I'm so blessed to be where I am. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life. Working with great people like Jim Molinari, we became very very close, he and I got to work together. It's funny, two people get put in a place like that, and we had a blast that year, even though the season didn't go the way we wanted it to. We really had fun. Every day we were blessed to be doing what we were doing and coaching at a place that we loved with kids we enjoyed. I'll never forget that year, I grew up a lot.
NB: Speaking of Coach Mo, before I had even met you years ago, he had told me that you were going to be a great head coach someday. How does that feel to have someone with his experience and background say that about you before you were even an assistant coach?
NM: Did he really say that? I don't believe that (joking). That means a lot. He's a guy that I really really admire. I think a lot of people that don't follow college basketball closely don't realize, this guy's resume, and how terrific of a coach he is. Not only that but what a terrific person he is, he is really a mentor to me, he really helped me in so many ways and still does today. He's a guy I can lean on and always has great advice, he's been there and done that, and always knows to say the right thing at the right time.
NB: What emotions do you have coming back to The Barn?
NM: It really hasn't hit me yet. The game just kind of happened. We needed a game on this day, and MN was available,. I think this is an area that we'll recruit. I've been on this court so many times, I've been an assistant, manager, but now to be sitting up there coaching a game...it will be a neat feeling. MN is a terrific team this year, they're going to be a great challenge for us. I am excited, I get nervous before every game, but I'm sure I'll have a few extra butterflies before this one tips off.
NB: You've coached with Dan Monson, Jim Molinari, Tim Miles and Larry Eustachy…what was the key thing you learned with each of them?
NM: Wow, that's a great question. I thought Dan Monson was really a great manager of the program, he was very organized, he had every facet of his program organized. I thought he was genuine and really really a good person. People wanted to work for Dan, they enjoyed working for him. Being in his corner, I'm really excited to see him doing as well as he is at Long Beach State because I thought he got into a tough situation here at MN. When people look back at his tenure, people will think "Dan did a pretty dang good job." I'm really happy and not surprised at all that he's having the success he is at Long Beach State. Coach Mo is just a guy that people in college basketball know, you look at this guy's resume and the places he's been , what he's done, he's one of the best coaches in our business and even a better person. He's quiet, he goes under the radar for people that don't know him. Like I said, he's just been a real mentor for me and has taught me a lot about working and dealing with people, different situations, he's taken a lot of tough jobs in adverse situations and found ways to win. Tim Miles may have prepared me more than anybody to be a head coach. When I had an opportunity to work with him he gave me so much responsibility and allowed me to do so many things that a head coach would do, and he put a lot on my plate that really prepared me, and I'm forever grateful for him doing that. I thought that opportunity really prepared me to be a head coach, and going through that process with him starting from ground zero and building it the way he did. Larry Eustachy….I think he was the 1st coach in NCAA history to win 25+ games at 5 different schools. They're 11-0 this year about to go in the top 25. He's just a winner. He's an old school coach, he gets the most out of his players, he's incredibly smart. Great feel for basketball, he never misses anything. He's the kind of guy, if he's watching something at practice or a game, if you watch it on film, it's exactly the way that he said it. I really learned a lot from him as well. All those guys really played a role in molding me where I am today.
NB: How well do you know Richard Pitino?
NM: I've met him, I don't know him well personally. He's done a terrific job, he's got great energy, his kids play really really hard and they play a really really aggressive style. I'm close with Ben Johnson, I know him well. He does a terrific job, and I've gotten to know Dan McHale a little bit. I just think he does a great job. He's innovative, he's brought a completely different style of play here. You can really see his kids buying into that style. When you watch a team play, I think very quickly, he got those kids to buy into the way he needed them to play. I think they play with great energy and together. They've bought in, and that shows he's really coaching them up.
Niko Medved Returns to the Place Where He Fell In Love With Basketball: The Barn
Furman University's Head Basketball Coach, Niko Medved, fell in love with the game of basketball at The Barn. His Father has had season tickets for over 40 years, and Medved has been a fan, a manager, an assistant to the Head Coach, and an Assistant Coach for the University of Minnesota. After...
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
