Medved Feeling More and More at Home
New contract keeps him focused on future goals
The best glimpse to the man Niko Medved is came when there were no cameras or recorders around.
His team didn’t arrive in Fort Collins from Las Vegas until 3:15 p.m. Sunday, giving them a handful of minutes to drop off their bags and get changed before heading to Canvas Stadium for a scheduled NCAA Selection Show watch party.
Before heading to the fourth floor, the players and staff first gathered on the sixth floor, where head coach Niko Medved was awaiting them. Uncomfortably, too.
A major part of what he came to Fort Collins to achieve was about to unfold in the next hour. To him, that’s what the day was supposed to be all about. Not him, but what the team had accomplished. A 24-5 season and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. But he knew he had to share the news with the team, too.
So he gathered them up, said in a ho-hum fashion he’d just signed an extension, almost apologetically. Again, the day was about them, not him. He told them exactly that, then ushered them off to get ready to revel in the moment they were about to experience.
He sat at a table in Las Vegas with Colorado State President Joyce McConnell and Director of Athletics Joe Parker the day the Rams played in the Mountain West semifinals and all signed the deal – an extension of five years on his contract – the state maximum – with two bonus years (which can be requested by either side) which could keep him as the program’s coach through the 2029 season.. It will give him a bump in pay, escalating from the current $1.1 million per year up to $1.3 million in the option years and it increases the salary pool for his staff, as well as the program itself.
Then they sat quiet until Sunday, with Parker expressing the desire to share the news before the tournament announcement was made. Consider it a preemptive strike on the coaching carousel which has already begun, and Medved’s name was already being floated around. People may still be interested, but that interest would require a bump of 33 percent of his remaining contract.
Four years ago, Colorado State landed the man they wanted to lead the program and they most certainly wanted to keep him around.
“It feels good. More importantly, Niko loves being a part of CSU,” Parker said. “He and Erica, I think they see themselves here long term. This is an exciting day for the Rams. His leadership has meant the world to our program the last four years, and he sees opportunity and work to be done. This is his first selection into the NCAA Tournament. I think he wants to see now from this point forward, how many times can we repeat this and play deep into the tournament.
“I think he views Colorado State and Fort Collins as a place he can fulfill his aspirations as a coach. We’re happy that’s the case and we’re looking forward to what’s ahead.”
He and his staff have certainly turned around the program and created a buzz, and while winning will always be paramount, his first task was just as crucial – winning back the hearts and minds of the CSU and surrounding Fort Collins community.
I think we have a lot of momentum right now in our program. The way the fans support us, the level we’re winning at, the success our players are having on the court individually, the place we live, the conference we play in. You keep going on and on, but I think there’s a lot to sell here.Niko Medved
He didn’t stop at talking a good game, he went out and showed people he was serious. And sincere. And genuine. He was meeting with fans at the first spring football game after he was hired, drawing a crowd of eager fans on the concourse of the stadium. He was out in public, with his growing family, taking part and dropping roots.
The Medveds knew they loved Fort Collins, but now the bond is stronger.
His wife, Erica, and their two daughters, Aly and Taylor, are just as much a part of building the bond. Team Together has become the team mantra, but it extends to the staff and their families. They have all taken part of the building process, and the contract extension expresses Niko’s gratitude and faith in them, as well.
As flattering as it is to hear your name being mentioned to rebuild other programs, there are draws which are just as meaningful.
“Fort Collins is home for us. We’ve spent a lot of years here, obviously with Niko as an assistant, and now,” Erica said. “You have so many friends – so many friends who are like family – and you really feel like you’re part of the community. Especially this year, seeing the community rally around the team with attendance and sell-out crowds, seeing more green and gold around the city, it’s exciting.
“You do value home. Any rumors or anything like that, you take it as a compliment to what you’ve done and you stay true to yourself and continue to live the life that feels right. It does feel like home.”
In the community, he has won over the hearts of people, but he’s also produced results on the court. He took over a program which was splintering and build a sturdy foundation with his first few classes. He brought aboard players who not only possessed skill, but character.
They play hard for themselves, but just as much for each other. The Rams have won at least 20 games the past three seasons – just the second such streak in program history – each one representing a step forward. The Rams went to the CBI tournament, then it was the NIT. Now, they will play again in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. The squad had been ranked on two different occasions this season.
He’s not done building, either. He wants and expects more, and when he walks into a recruit’s house, his pitch is that much stronger.
“Everything’s a process. The one thing about college athletics is there’s only a window in time these young people get to play, so you’re always looking to build. What’s next, what’s next?” Niko said. “I think we have a lot of momentum right now in our program. The way the fans support us, the level we’re winning at, the success our players are having on the court individually, the place we live, the conference we play in. You keep going on and on, but I think there’s a lot to sell here.”
Isaiah Stevens agrees. He was sold on his coach before, but even more now. The ideals Niko shared with him as a recruit, he still sees in place as a player and leader on the team.
Stevens isn’t naïve, and he’s pretty sure his coach is a popular target for other schools, and yes, he’s wondered if the time would come to see Niko move to a new school. He’s also thrilled to know he will still be his coach next year.
“For sure. As a player, you’d be crazy not to, because he’s such a great coach,” Stevens said. “Who wouldn’t want him to lead their program? I’m just happy he’s still around. I’m glad that our higher ups were able to do what they needed to do to have him stick around a little bit longer.”
Every part of Sunday was a reason to celebrate. The Rams knew they were going to play in the NCAA Tournament, accomplishing a major goal set the moment they felt the heartbreak of not receiving an invitation a season ago.
The coach who has guided the improvement will return. It was a lot to take in, even for a man who didn’t want to be anywhere near the spotlight, not without his players. Not for a man who simply wanted to coach, but is doing it on a bigger stage than he initially imagined.
“I said it from day one how much we love being here and how much we love being part of this community and getting a chance to coach here,” he said. “I’m just really grateful people are willing to do that for us. I just wanted to be a high school coach, man. I knew I always wanted to coach, and to be doing it at a place like this and at this level, it’s a dream come true. It hasn’t even really hit me yet, but it is, it’s awesome. We have a group of people, all the way down, who are committed to what we’re doing.”
Committed to him. He’s earned it, because he built it. Just as he’s done everywhere he has been. At Furman, then at Drake. Sunday covered every part of the journey. The return of the former assistant coach tasked with a turnaround. The present, with what this team can still accomplish on the biggest stage of the year. The future, for goals not yet attained but still being worked toward.
For Niko and his family, Fort Collins felt like a great place to go for it all. It still does.
“I think, again, we obviously love being here, and we love everything about it,” he said. “Maybe it’s better than it’s ever been.”