Medved win % & record
Niko Medved has exactly the type of coaching record that indicates he is very likely an elite coach.
His win record at Colorado State after his first 2 years is 79.2%
He took Furman from 9-21 to 23-11
At Colorado he took a program that was 12-21 his first year to 24-10 this year.
I especially like his conference records.
This. Look at that consistency. Took medved's team and won 7 more games 25+ wins in 4 straight years. THIS GUY FUCKS.
I’m not sure we can say he took Medved’s team and won more games — Medved was at Drake for only a season, he probably never got to coach “his team”.
Plus his future relative (Piter) is a Mentat-
I'm really not excited about Medved as a candidate. His record at Colorado State isn't anything to write home about. It's fine. I get the basketball program is down after the last two years. But we're still Michigan and probably a top ~20 job. Let's act like it.
I like DeVries as a backup candidate. Shaka makes ~3 million a year. Let's offer him $4.5 or $5.0 million and see if he bites at a 50% raise. See if Mick Cronin wants to come back to the midwest. Let's see if we can poach somebody with a proven track record in a P5 conference.
What is Shaka's track record in a power conference? It's bad. I don't think he should even be under consideration.
He took over a 13-14 Marquette program and then went to the tournament as a 9 seed, 2 seed, and 2 seed.
Leading a program to a 2 seed is an elite season. Doing it back to back is really impressive. Especially for a program that had been irrelevant for about a decade.
Obviously Texas didn't go well, but he won 19 games in five of six years. Had them as a 3 seed his last year. It was bad but not a disaster. Meanwhile, he as experience at two power 5 schools, which I really value in the portal/NIL landscape.
Juwan was set to make $3 million next season, so that offer would be at least a 50% bump. That seems unlikely.
March 18th, 2024 at 10:20 PM ^
Michigan definitely reached out to Cronin. They also reached out to Dusty May. I’d love for it to be Dusty at this point, mostly because I met him after last years tournament and he’s a good dude. Dusty definitely loves IU and if he had a chance he’d want to coach there. I think he’d go to Michigan and stick around if Michigan made him a good offer though. He loves Big Ten basketball in general.
March 18th, 2024 at 11:28 PM ^
Mick Cronin? Bleh. Sounds like a Warde hire.
We are going to need a coach that can bring some quality players with him
March 19th, 2024 at 11:09 AM ^
Next year is a lost cause with our admissions program. What sophomores or juniors are going to make it thru admissions?
Get the best coach knowing next year will be wretched either way and look toward 25-26.
He took over an already turned around program. Less impressive to me.
March 19th, 2024 at 11:06 AM ^
Always curious why a major has not taken a guy 3 years ago with a record like that.
I am sure he's a fine coach and all but it seems a bit "Rich Rodriguez" for my blood....but who knows nowadays
Basketball on grass could never work on an actual basketball court!
How about Ferris state’s coach ? Just won another regional title and national title few years back
Is it taken as a given that we can't get the Iowa State guy?
Paying the $17M+ buyout is a bad way to get a coach IMHO--adds pressure/expectations to an already high stakes decision.
I completely forgot it was that high. That answers that one.
I saw Brian mention Goodman said he has a "hefty" buyout. I couldn't find a number listed anywhere. $17 million seems really high - where did you see that?
According to media reports at the time Otzelberger signed an extension at ISU last year (sorry, I’m too lazy to find a link but I know it saw it in multiple articles—just search for articles on his contract extension) Otzelberger owes the balance on the remaining years of his deal if he leaves. Based on projected salary increases under his contract, that comes to about $17M. So I believe that’s why everyone is throwing that number around.
Also I believe overlooked in the rundown of coaching candidates on this site: his wife was one of the best basketball players in ISU history.
I’m not saying Michigan shouldn’t try, but the notion our current AD could pull off that move is laughable. Not happening.
Here's an article that lays out the terms of his extension that was signed last year:
The relevant portion:
“Otzelberger’s contract now extends through June 30, 2029, and his total compensation will increase to $2.5M on July 1, 2023, $3M on July 1, 2024 and $3.5M on July 1, 2025, followed by $100,000 increases for each subsequent contract year. All other terms of his original contract remain unchanged.”
The terms of his original contract are laid out in this DSM Register article from two years prior:
The relevant portion:
"If Otzelberger leaves for another Division I or NBA job, he owes Iowa State 100 percent of the remaining compensation left on his contract. That number is halved, though, if Pollard is no longer Iowa State’s athletic director at the time of Otzelberger’s departure."
So....using higher math to add his 2023-2029 salaries together we get: a small-ish remaining portion of this year's $3M ('23-24)+$3.5M ('25-26)+ $3.6M ('26-27)+$3.7M ('27-28)+$3.8M ('28-29)=$14.6M
(The portion of this year's salary that is left is unclear--although I added the entire $3M bc I'm not certain that he would get buyout "credit" for having coached for most of this fiscal year already.)
Total estimate of buyout=$14.6-17.6M
Bingo. Thanks for finding that.
The pressure comes from the fact Beilein took Michigan to 2 final fours and now they just missed the tournament two years in a row. I don't think paying a buyout really moves the needle that much. It's more the fact that apathy has set in and there will be pressure to get fans excited about the team again, no matter who is the coach.
I love the guy at Iowa State but know more than a few ISU grads. It is a fervent basketball school since former UM Johnny Orr revived the program. Huge crowds and intense atmosphere. I don't think he'd come here, as much as it would be nice to see.
March 18th, 2024 at 10:03 PM ^
To Brian's point on the podcast, when you sign a contract with a monster buyout like that, you're at least partly telegraphing that you want to stay where you are.
I'm on board and am sure he's capable, maybe even a bright talent... but to me his Colorado St record is not especially impressive. Had a great 2 year stretch when he had 1-2 marginal NBA talents, then has sunk back down to mediocre (look at conference record vs season record). That said, he also did some great stuff at Furman... and I'm not sure who else would be much better. Does he have any 5-star sons making college decisions soon? /s
I would note that his conference record needs to be taken in context with the overall improvement of the Mountain West the past couple of years. They’re a 6-bid conference, out of 11 teams. That’s tied for the B1G for third most teams — they’re arguably a power conference when it comes to basketball.
Great point - hadn't thought through that part of it. And taking a perennial doormat and turning them into a competitive team year in, year out is a point in his favor. OK, sign me up...
Am I reading this correctly that he has never won an NCAA Tournament game?
I'm not sure bringing on a former Russian president is the right move.
Just offer him now. He’s the best accessible talent on the board.
Didnt we just fire a coach for having a shitty 5th year (i know, i know, it was more than just that!). But isn't that a big concerning - the dudes 5th year?
He had a good record every year but his first year at Colorado State. He very much runs a system and doesnt' rely on getting top talent-
The one where he went 24-10? I'm no math expert but I think that's about 3x better than the 8 wins Michigan had this year.
The graphic says he went 15-18 in his 5th year. 24-10 was his sixth year. Go home, you're drunk.
I told you math wasn't my strong suit!
OTZ!
Idk. Seems similar to Chris Holtmann. Good record but never great at Butler. Same thing with Medved at CSU. We'd definitely be a lot better than Juwan but he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would get us a Big Ten championship.
Some similarities in record- although Holtmann had 2 bad years in his job before Butler and only 3 years at Butler.
IDK what happened to him at Ohio State- seems like he lost the players and wasn't great at roster construction.
Not very happy to see UVA pull him in Dayton.
His win record at Colorado State after his first 2 years is 79.2%
Um.. what? Based on the snippet you shared, he won 84 of 126 (66.7%) of his games at CSU since the 20-21 season. In fact, he only posted a win% near the one you cited in one season.
I know Brian really likes this guy, but I think it would be a really underwhelming hire.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics
I like Gene Siskel better.
Isa Nico Toscani available? I hear like Bill Self, he's above the law.
I would be cool with Niko. I have watched CSU play a few times this year and they are very good offensively. No one is ever standing around, the ball is always moving on offense, and they were sound fundamentally. He is also doing this with a bunch of no name players and D2 and D3 transfers. He seems like he would be a John Beilein only younger.
Sounds good to me, the only thing that sounds better is an auto-bench when someone plays hero ball.
Dude is grade A legit. Can do more with less. Unfortunately, this is the model our institution is committed to.