Al Nolen, who played 98 games as a member of the Gopher men’s basketball team from 2008-2011, will return to Williams Arena as the team’s color commentator in 2023.

Nolan replaces Spencer Tollackson, who held the role for 14 years.

“I am excited to be back in the Barn,” Nolan says. “The opportunity to be a color analyst for the men’s basketball team during coach Ben Johnson’s era, as well as to work alongside and learn from an on-air talent such as Mike Grimm, is a dream come true.”

Nolen scored 595 points, registered 205 steals and dished 394 assists during his career with the Gophers. He earned a bachelor of science in business and marketing and, after playing overseas in Germany and the Czech Republic after graduation, returned to Minneapolis to start a career in education in the Minneapolis and Osseo school districts.

He created the Al Nolan Foundation in 2020 to create fun, inclusive and educational activities designed to develop life skills key to everyday success.