FORT COLLINS, Colo. — One day after the Colorado State men's basketball team lost to Maryland in the NCAA tournament on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater, the Rams announced the departure of their head coach.
Niko Medved is leaving CSU to take the head coach job at the University of Minnesota. He is a graduate of Minnesota and was born in Minneapolis, so it's a homecoming for him.
"Fort Collins is truly a special place, and being the Head Basketball Coach at CSU has been one of the greatest honors of my life," Medved said in a statement. "The time has come, however, for me to take over at the University of Minnesota."
Fort Collins
CSU fans still proud after buzzer-beater ends the Rams' NCAA tournament run
Medved was very popular and successful in his seven years as the Rams' head coach. He won 20 games in five different seasons and took CSU to the NCAA tournament three times.
This past season was one of the best in CSU history. Medved led the team to 26 wins, a Mountain West Conference championship, and a first-round victory over Memphis in the NCAA tournament. The Rams were knocked out of March Madness on a buzzer-beater by Maryland on Sunday night.
CSU Athletic Director John Weber released a statement Monday, saying, "I am incredibly appreciative of Niko’s leadership over the past seven years, and I wish him and his family the very best in their next chapter. While a national search for new leadership of our men’s basketball program has already begun, I am appreciative that Associate Head Coach Ali Farokhmanesh has agreed to serve as Interim Head Coach."
