The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team is looking for a new coach.
Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle announced early Thursday that he fired Ben Johnson after Minnesota lost to Northwestern in Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament opener.
“I met with Ben in-person early this morning when the team returned to Minneapolis from the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament and informed him that we were making a change in leadership,” Coyle said in a statement posted just after 1:15 a.m. Thursday. “I thanked him for his dedication and for guiding the program, one he cares deeply about, for the last four years. Ben is a terrific person, and we wish him well.”
“These decisions are difficult and are made after careful consideration and evaluation. The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years,” Coyle said.
The Gophers tallied a 15-17 record this season, including a 7-13 record in conference play.
Johnson was hired by the Gophers in 2021 after Minnesota fired Richard Pitino. Johnson — a native of Minneapolis — had most recently been an assistant coach with Xavier University in Cincinnati, but had deep roots with the Gophers as both a player and assistant coach.
Over Johnson’s four seasons leading the team, the Gophers went 56-71 with just one winning season. Minnesota reached the NIT last season but has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019 under Pitino.
Johnson had been under contract with the Gophers through 2027, and his contract calls for a $2.92 million buyout. His annual salary was $1.95 million, the lowest in the 18-team Big Ten.
Coyle said Thursday that the university has launched a nationwide search for Johnson’s replacement.
“This is an extremely desirable job in one of the best conferences and cities in the nation, and we fully expect to compete at the highest level on and off the court,” Coyle’s statement read. “We provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes, have one of the best practice facilities in the nation and play games in a historic venue. We offer everything that is needed to be successful.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.
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