Drake Lands Medved

(St. Louis, MO) – Drake has its new head basketball coach. Furman head coach Niko Medved has been tabbed for the position by Director of Athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb, and a press conference is coming Monday.

The 43-year-old Medved (62-70) was wrapping up his fourth season with the Paladins who are playing in the CollegeInsider.com Post Season Tournament. Medved guided the Greenville, South Carolina school to win totals of nine, 11, 19 and 23 victories, including this year’s Southern Conference regular season championship.

In an official statement Hatfield Clubb says she’s excited to be able to sign the Minnesota native to the Bulldog athletics department.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Niko Medved and his family to Drake University,” Hatfield Clubb said. “Niko has built a championship program centered on student-athletes who thrive in the classroom and on the basketball court. He is a tenacious and passionate recruiter whose vision for success aligns with the tenants of The Bulldog Way touchstone. His strong Midwest ties and his proven success at a highly academic institution make him a perfect fit to lead the Bulldogs.”

For his work this season, Medved was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year. The Paladins play a semifinal CIT contest Wednesday night.

In the same release, Medved sounds excited to the join Drake and the Missouri Valley Conference.

“I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be the next men’s basketball coach at Drake University,” Medved said. “Drake University’s tremendous reputation partnered with its strong leadership and the thriving Des Moines community make this a special place.  I was born and raised in the Midwest and have so many strong roots in this part of the country.”

Medved has revitalized the Furman program, has also coached back-to-back SoCon Players of the Year in Stephen Croone and Devin Sibley, Jr. His recruiting at Furman produced four players earning spots on the SoCon All-Freshman Team, including Sibley being named the SoCon’s freshman in 2015.

Medved spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Colorado State where he served head coach Tim Miles. Those Rams teams produced the first of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.

Before joining the staff at Colorado State, Medved spent a season as an assistant at the University of Minnesota under Dan Monson. His time in Minnesota were preceded by seven seasons as an assistant at Furman, including serving as the school’s interim head coach in the spring of 2006.

Prior to joining Furman, Miles said bragged to furmanpaladins.com about his former assistant.

“He is the total package.  Niko can coach, recruit, and manage all aspects of a basketball program,” said Miles. “He knows how to build a lasting winner.  His energy, enthusiasm and intelligence will resonate with players and fans alike.”

Former Bradley head coach Jim Molinari served with Medved, and the former MVC coach says the new Drake hire knows how to revamp a difficult situation.

“Most importantly, after going through an adverse situation with me at Minnesota,” said Molinari.” “He certainly has the character to meet this challenge.”

Furman Director of Athletics Mike Buddie says his school is grateful for Medved’s time in Greenville.

“Coach Niko Medved and his staff have put Furman basketball on the map, and I am extremely thankful for his effort and the way he has represented Furman University during his time on campus,” said Buddie. “Because of their efforts, Furman will be a very attractive destination for many coaches from across the country, and the search for his replacement has already begun.”

The press conference in Des Moines is set for 3:00 pm Monday.

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