“This really is a dream job for me,” Niko Medved said, and it was hard not to believe him. Just hours after Colorado State’s devastating defeat to Maryland in the NCAA tournament, Medved, a Minneapolis native, made an important decision. He stood before his tearful Rams roster, said his thank-yous, and began his journey back to his home state. And Minnesota, crying out in desperation for a basketball renaissance, was only all too happy to cough up his $3.5 million buyout clause to do it—albeit with some very costly clauses attached.

Medved is no stranger to coaching success. In his 12 seasons leading Furman, Drake, and lastly Colorado State, he’s established himself as a consistent program builder. Raised in Roseville, just a few miles from the University of Minnesota campus, Medved’s ties to the school run deep. He was a student manager in the ‘90s, which enabled him to learn from high-level coaches firsthand and better understand the program infrastructure in place.

When the Gophers called, it felt impossible for Medved to say no in a way that it didn’t feel impossible three years ago when this opportunity was available to him. If it’s a dream homecoming for Medved, it’s a hefty gamble for the Gophers on a man who has proven over the span of a decade that he knows how to win.

A costly homecoming for Niko Medved?

Minnesota made it official on March 24, 2025—Niko Medved would be the new head coach of the men’s basketball team. And they didn’t hold back with his contract. He was signed to a six-year contract which will be valid till 2030-31 season. The terms are aggressive: the university’s buyout terms show a real commitment from both parties.

If Minnesota decides to part ways with Medved prior to April 2028, the university will owe Medved 100% of his remaining contract value; that figure lowers to 75% after that. Meanwhile, the buyout clauses themselves escalate after time. If Medved departs before April 14, 2026, the buyout clause is worth $10 million; that goes to $7 million within the next year and then $5 million thereafter. In other words, Minnesota is not parting with Medved unless something drastic happens.

Interestingly, Medved’s contract is a clear indication of just how much Minnesota expects him to turn the program around. He’ll earn $400,000 in base salary but will earn an additional $2.6 million in compensation—for a total of $3 million during the 2025-2026 season. Further, he can avail an annual increment of $100k in the supplementary pay. His salary is also the 16th-highest among Big Ten coaches and a big raise from Ben Johnson’s $1.95 million salary.

Medved’s hiring comes after Ben Johnson was fired from the job with a 56-71 record in his four seasons as head coach. Athletic Director Mark Coyle said Medved’s Minnesota ties and winning background set him apart. “He has had success everywhere he has been,” Coyle said.

Medved’s Minnesota roots

Niko Medved’s roots in Minnesota are extensive. His family has had season tickets to Gophers games since the 1960s, and he grew up watching the team play in its heyday under coach Clem Haskins. Medved’s love for the team made him enroll at Minnesota, where he was a student manager on Clem Haskins’ teams from 1992-96.

Those years created a blueprint in understanding the coaching profession and what it took to run a program that worked, and Haskins later remarked that, “My managers become head coaches and influential on different staffs. That makes me feel good. I watch those teams play.” This shows the roadmap that Medved built early in his career.

Looking forward, there is a ton of hope for what Niko Medved could do in resurrecting the Gophers’ basketball program. The Big Ten will be a challenge no doubt, but should Medved’s player-first philosophy translate well to the Power 5 conference, the Gophers could make their way back to the national stage in no time. For now, there’s plenty of hope within fans, as some put it: “Home run hire.” Now, Medved has the spotlight on him to prove his ability to transform his dream job into a winning program once more.