Gophers fire men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson after 4 seasons
Ben Johnson fired after 4 seasons as Gophers basketball coach
Gophers Athletic Director Mark Coyle fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson early Thursday morning after 4 seasons at Minnesota. He went 56-71, including 22-57 in Big Ten play and never reached an NCAA Tournament.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota fired Gophers men’s basketball head coach Ben Johnson early Thursday morning.
Gophers basketball coach
What they're saying:
The Gopher’s athletic director, Mark Coyle, announced on March 13 that they are parting ways with Johnson. This comes after a disappointing end to the season as the Gophers were eliminated from the Big Ten tournament in the first round on Wednesday night.
Gophers fire Ben Johnson after 4 seasons, what's next?
Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson was fired Thursday after 4 seasons. Ahmad Hicks joins Amy Hockert on FOX 9's All Day Live to discuss Johnson's tenure, what went wrong and what's next for the program.
The team lost to the Northwestern Wildcats 72-64, and the early exit means the Gophers will likely not be involved in March Madness or the National Invitation Tournament.
Johnson, who finished his coaching career at Minnesota 56-71, including 22-57 in Big Ten play, was told about the change in leadership when he returned to Minneapolis early Thursday morning.
"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. 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," Coyle said in a statement.
"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," he added.
Johnson's tenure
Johnson was hired to replace Richard Pitino in 2021, and never had a winning season in Big Ten play. His best season was 2023-24, when the Gophers finished 9-11 in Big Ten play, and won a game in the NIT. Then, Johnson lost Elijah Hawkins, Pharrel Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph and Braeden Carrington to the NCAA transfer portal, among others. Cam Christie also left for the NBA.
Johnson, a former DeLaSalle star who played for the Gophers, spent 16 years as an assistant with Dayton, Texas Pan-American, Northern Iowa, Nebraska and Xavier before Coyle brought him back to Minnesota.
What's next:
Coyle says a nationwide search for the next head coach will begin immediately.