On Saturday, the Gophers men’s basketball team announced the promotion of Ed Conroy to associate head coach. Conroy received the promotion after spending four seasons as an assistant to head coach Richard Pitino.

Conroy joined Pitino’s staff in 2016. Minnesota finished that season 24-10 with a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Pitino credits Conroy as a key figure who had fueled Minnesota’s frontcourt success.

“Ed Conroy has been vital to our program’s success on and off the court since he has been here,” Pitino said in a statement. “He is a phenomenal recruiter and a terrific teacher of the game. He has been integral in the development of our big men over the years.”

Under Conroy’s coaching, two Gophers frontcourt players have gone on to receive All-Big Ten recognition. Jordan Murphy received first team honors in 2019, while Daniel Oturu was voted to the second team this past season.

Before coming to Minnesota, Conroy spent six seasons as a head coach at Tulane. He also has four additional years of Division I head coaching experience at The Citadel. His son, Hunt Conroy, is currently a guard for the Gophers.

Conroy’s promotion is the second significant development of the off-season for Pitino’s coaching staff. Former assistant Rob Jeter recently left the staff, accepting the head coach position at Western Illinois earlier this week.