The University of Minnesota is expected to hire Colorado State’s Niko Medved as their men’s head basketball coach, per CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. 

Medved was originally brought on to coach Colorado State through 2031.

The decision to hire Medved comes after the University fired head coach Ben Johnson March 13 following Minnesota’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Northwestern.

Word of Medved’s hiring was delayed by Colorado State’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which ended last night in a 71-72 loss to Maryland in the round of 32.

Before Medved’s hire, Minnesota’s Kadyn Betts, Tyler Cochran and Frank Mitchell entered their names into the transfer portal. 

Medved began his head coaching career with the Furman University Paladins in 2013, with a 62-71 coaching record 

Medved left Furman for Drake University’s head coaching position in 2017, where he led a team with a winning percentage of .500. 

After one season at Drake, Medved landed a job as Colorado State’s head coach, where he coached the Rams to three NCAA tournament appearances.

Minnesota last reached the NCAA tournament in 2019 under head coach Richard Pitino. 

At Colorado State, Medved’s coaching record was 143-85, including five seasons with 20 or more wins. 

Medved’s notable accolades include a  Southern Conference Coach of the Year honor at Furman and USBWA District Coach of the Year at Colorado State. 

Born in Minneapolis, Medved graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1997 and served as a student manager for the men’s basketball team. 

In 1997, Medved began his first full-time coaching position as associate head coach for Division III Macalester College in Saint Paul. Medved also served as an assistant coach for the Gophers during the 2006-2007 season. 

A press conference formally announcing the hiring decision is expected Tuesday.