Richard Pitino: Minnesota's problem is tied to money, branding, bathroom troughs

Pitino believes Gophers fans shouldn't have to pee in troughs anymore. He thinks Gophers basketball needs money from Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities.

New Mexico's head coach Richard Pitino watches his team during the first round game between Clemson University and University of New Mexico in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, March 22, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

What's holding back the Minnesota Gophers men's basketball team? Richard Pitino, who coached the Gophers for eight years and has spoken to Minnesota athletics director Mark Coyle recently, has some ideas.

"I've spoken to Mark. We still keep in touch. I'm rooting for them to figure it out," Pitino said Tuesday during an interview with Dan Barreiro on KFAN-FM 100.3 in which they discussed Williams Arena and the U of M's ongoing search to replace fired head coach Ben Johnson.

"I think the biggest thing that whoever does get that job is that he's gotta find people outside of (Coyle), the administration, that can really help elevate the thing, that really, really care about building a championship program," Pitino said. "I know they exist. There's great people there. But honestly when I reflect on it—I've won 26 games the last two years—I'm not a better coach now than I was back then. You just gotta get everybody on the bus the best you can."

"What is going to separate Minnesota from these other Big Ten jobs?" Pitino continued, agreeing that "in order for the next step" to be taken at Minnesota, the next coach has to "have people in the community" start "writing some checks for Minnesota basketball in order to really elevate that thing."

Specifically, Pitino, who has New Mexico in the NCAA Tournament for a second year in a row, thinks the new coach has to rally local millionaires, billionaires and Fortune 500 companies to contribute to Gophers basketball. That's the kind of Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) funding that can allow the Gophers to compete for the best players in the country.

Pitino believes another significant part of advancing Minnesota basketball is finding a way to brand the program much like Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck has created with the "Row the Boat" culture.

"Minnesota's brand is not national yet. I think it's a great place. I loved it. I miss it dearly. But the branding piece of it is huge," Pitino said. "We have a brand at New Mexico. It's smaller on a relative scale, but when you think of New Mexico, you think of 'The Pit.' Something like that. And I think you need something like that at Minnesota. The next coach, he's gotta rally a lot of people around him, to really build an army because you're trying to take down some iconic brands in college basketball."

Meanwhile, he's not of the opinion that Williams Arena needs to be torn down and replaced. But he's adamant that major renovations are needed at the 97-year-old venue.

"I think you're in a community where there's so many good facilities. I'm not saying new building, but I absolutely think the people that are going to these games should not be going to the bathroom in troughs anymore. You know what I mean?" he said. "I think the concession piece of it. There's little things like that that I truly believe—lke Wrigley Field did with a major renovation, or like Fenway Park did. I don't think you need to build a whole new one, but I do believe there's money that needs to be put into there."

Pitino is also a big fan of Colorado State head coach Niko Medved, who is rumored to be the favorite to be named head coach at Minnesota.

"I think he is a terrific coach. He is a really good guy. Has built consistency at Colorado State," Pitino said. "He's recruited pros. David Roddy wa ssa guy from the Twin Cities playing in the NBA. Isaiah Stevens was a point guard. Phenomenal. I believe he's with the Heat. And then Nique Clifford is his best player right now, could also go [to the NBA]."

Medved's Colorado State Rams are a 12-seed and face fifth-seeded Memphis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"He's been incredibly consistent and built that Colorado State program into something terrific. As I said, I don't know the direction that (Coyle) is going to go, if Niko does want to do it. But I would say that if he does do that, I think it would be a home run hire."

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