Niko Medved issues statement on Drake departure: 'I simply felt like this was an opportunity that I couldn't pass on'

Niko Medved left his head coaching job at Drake to coach Colorado State on Thursday. He will be officially introduced as Rams' head coach Friday morning.

Late Thursday night, Medved tweeted out a statement regarding his decision to leave Des Moines.

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"I deeply appreciate all of the support we received from everyone at Drake and in the Des Moines community this year," the statement read. "These are tough, very emotional decisions, and the timing is unfortunate. Everyone who knows me well realizes how special Colorado State is to me and Erica — for so many reasons. At the end of the day, I simply felt like this was an opportunity that I couldn't pass on. Drake is a tremendous institution and has tremendous leadership from the top down. I have no doubt that they will continue to move forward in a great direction. Thank you again for everything!"