California native Keegan Cook had eight years of head coaching at the University of Washington before he heard a call to fill the position at the University of Minnesota—stepping into the shoes of the beloved former head coach Hugh McCutcheon, while navigating the new world of "NIL" player funding and the transfer portal (which allows players to relocate at the drop of a hat without eligibility penalties). Cook maintains a philosophy of “coaching without conditions,” or coaching without fear of losing players to the portal. With the shifts in college sports, “the standard for coaching is higher,” he says, and eyes are on Cook as he coaches his way through his first season with the Gophers.

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