Medved back to having a ball at Colorado State
FORT COLLINS» Niko Medved knows every word of the Colorado State fight song. And he wanted to belt it out Friday morning when he was introduced as the new men’s basketball coach of the Rams. He asked: “Would it be crazy for us to do that here?” Not at all.
Medved traded a blue Drake necktie for a shade of CSU green, sat beside athletic director Joe Parker, then clapped and sang with players and fans like a lifelong Ram after his introductory news conference at Moby Arena. Medved was joined by his wife, Erica, who has a master’s degree from CSU, and their 1-year-old daughter, Aly, who also dressed in bright green.
“Some of the best personal and professional memories I have are from my time here in Fort Collins,” Medved said. “I’ve seen it at its best. I’ve seen what it can be.”
It’s a stark contrast to the scene in Des Moines, Iowa, where Drake athletic director Brian Hardin told The Des Moines Register how Medved’s departure from the Missouri Valley Conference
school unfolded. Medved told Hardin on Tuesday that he withdrew from consideration at CSU, and two days later Medved shocked his boss by accepting the job. He revived Drake’s program to its best finish since 2011-12 by going 17-17 this season, but in less than a year in Des Moines he was gone. He addressed those circumstances with reporters Friday.
“The timing is unfortunate, but this is a dream scenario for me; everybody who knows me knows that,” Medved said. “There was just no way I could turn down this opportunity. You don’t get to choose those things in life. You work as hard as you can for this opportunity, it comes, and the key is just to seize it.”
Tim Miles was CSU’s coach when he hired Medved from Min- nesota in 2007, and the program reached new heights with NCAA Tournament berths in 2012 and 2013 — including its first victory in the tournament since 1988.
“In my home office, I still have several pictures of (CSU) games,” Medved said. “The one that stands out to me is Dorian Green hit a game-winning shot and Colton (Iverson) was rubbing his head, and I got that in a big shot. There are so many memories.”
Medved recruited several former CSU stars such as Green, Iverson, Andy Ogide, Pierce Hornung, Wes Eikmeier and Daniel Bejarano. Medved was even part of the early push to land current CSU guards Prentiss Nixon and Anthony Bonner before accepting the head coaching job at Furman. CSU players were introduced to Medved on Friday before his news conference.
“We had a good relationship (in high school),” Prentiss said. “Now it’s just building that relationship back up and hearing what he has to say.”
Added Bonner: “I think everyone is feeling really positive. I know I am. I’m ready to get on the court.”
Medved accepted a five-year contract, with a first-year base salary of $700,000 and annual increases of $25,000. CSU’s assistant coaching salary pool will be $550,000 to $650,000. The Rams will pay Medved’s Drake buyout of $425,000, Parker said. CSU also is on the hook financially for Larry Eustachy’s resignation with $750,000 owed in three installments (July 1; Jan. 1, 2019; and March 1, 2019) after his paid administrative leave ends July 1.
CSU fell victim to its own success when Miles bolted to Nebraska after the 2012 NCAA Tournament berth. Medved, 44, leapfrogged Furman and Drake on his path to CSU. If he delivers what is expected in Fort Collins, who can say if the Rams won’t be next?
“Those are difficult, right?” Parker said. “I think the shortlist that would make sense for Niko if he wanted to transition to another place is very, very small. When you come to a place like Fort Collins, especially after having experience in the place, I think you’re making a very informed decision of where you want to put your roots in for a while.”
Medved checked into his Fort Collins hotel late Thursday night — not long before his introduction as CSU’s replacement for Eustachy. The reality wouldn’t set in until the sun began to rise Friday morning for a new era of Rams men’s basketball.
“I’m on the top floor of the Hilton, I open the shades and there’s the ‘A’ and the Horsetooth Canyon and the stadium and the sun,” Medved said. “It just hit me — this is amazing. It’s really surreal to me.”