At 1:19am, 3.13.25. - The Ben Johnson Era has ended and Ben is fired

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U of MN press release:


At 1:22am...

Coyle Announces Leadership Change in Men’s Basketball

NOTE: Director of Athletics Mark Coyle will be available to the media via Zoom on Friday, March 14. We anticipate this availability to be in the late morning or early afternoon and will communicate an exact time on Thursday, March 13.

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle has announced that the University has parted ways with men's basketball coach Ben Johnson.

Statement from Mark Coyle

"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.

“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.

“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. 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, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men’s basketball coach.”
 

Gopher Lady going off on Twitter… this was inevitable and has been known for awhile. And, while Ben has needed resources, he hasn’t done a good job coaching this team over the last four years. I know Ben, like Ben, and wanted him to be successful. However, this needed to happen. The Barn was dead, unlike anything I have seen since the final year Monson was coach. You can’t win in this era with the apathy there is for Ben. There are people ready to give to the program, but they don’t want to invest in a coach they don’t believe in - and I get that. While PJ can drive me nuts, he gets out and works for support, and has demonstrated he is worth supporting. Ben didn’t do that.

Now, I’m all about supporting our AD in getting a coach who will bring excitement and win.
 

As disappointed as this is that it came to this, it was necessary. I'm sure Ben knew it too. I remember the last year of the Monson era and it was eerily similar to it. Great guy and he got his players to keep fighting, but with that being half the battle, that's the reason we won half of our games. Like Coyle said, this is a desirable place to coach. When the Barn is rocking, it's an atmosphere. I'm glad he did it quickly so he can begin the coaching search right away.
 









As necessary as this move is, it's sad as hell. It's too bad it had to come to this, especially with an alum. You saw it with Juwan Howard and now here: bringing in an alumnus based on hope more than a belief that he knows what he's doing. As Howie put it a couple weeks ago, the risk of hiring him wasn't a coin flip; it was a lottery ticket. It remains the most bizarre hiring decision I've seen in my days.

Gopher Lady can go on and on all she wants on Twitter. (I unfollowed her years ago because of her meanness to people, so I'll have to take folks' word for it.) What does she think this is? I'll tell her and everyone what this is. College sports is entertainment, and these four years have been only sporadically entertaining, to the point that thousands of our fellow fans have left the fan base. The erosion of that fan base is alarming and disastrous. The other thing college sports is is--and I'd posted this elsewhere--the main connection between alumni and their university. Most people aren't like my wife, who's been active in her college's alumni board, or me, who's connected to CSE research efforts. For most alumni of any school, the sports bring you back. That's why there's such thing as Homecoming. Successful sports create interest and bring in donations in many venues. It's a big deal. It's hugely important.

Johnson has worked hard and cared deeply and recruited fine young men, which along with him have represented the U well. They will all be beloved fellow alumni. But this was so necessary.
 

MilosRevenge said:
We were sold on the hire due to his ability to recruit high school players, specifically Minnesota players. Through no fault of his own, transfers and NIL made that less important.
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He’s gone so no need to pile on. That being said, most of us were never “sold”. No fault of his own? B.S. ALL coaches own everything about their program. Players, staff, NIL, etc…. If there was anything about the program Ben didn’t like he could have resigned at any point. Time to accept the fact that Ben is not a P4 HC.
 

Bad Gopher said:
As necessary as this move is, it's sad as hell. It's too bad it had to come to this, especially with an alum. You saw it with Juwan Howard and now here: bringing in an alumnus based on hope more than a belief that he knows what he's doing. As Howie put it a couple weeks ago, the risk of hiring him wasn't a coin flip; it was a lottery ticket. It remains the most bizarre hiring decision I've seen in my days.

Gopher Lady can go on and on all she wants on Twitter. (I unfollowed her years ago because of her meanness to people, so I'll have to take folks' word for it.) What does she think this is? I'll tell her and everyone what this is. College sports is entertainment, and these four years have been only sporadically entertaining, to the point that thousands of our fellow fans have left the fan base. The erosion of that fan base is alarming and disastrous. The other thing college sports is is--and I'd posted this elsewhere--the main connection between alumni and their university. Most people aren't like my wife, who's been active in her college's alumni board, or me, who's connected to CSE research efforts. For most alumni of any school, the sports bring you back. That's why there's such thing as Homecoming. Successful sports create interest and bring in donations in many venues. It's a big deal. It's hugely important.

Johnson has worked hard and cared deeply and recruited fine young men, which along with him have represented the U well. They will all be beloved fellow alumni. But this was so necessary.
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Gopherlady it’s fucking unbearable. And how can she honestly say she’s such a fan of this program and not see that this had to be done.? She should shut the fuck up.
 






Big Dawg said:
He’s gone so no need to pile on. That being said, most of us were never “sold”. No fault of his own? B.S. ALL coaches own everything about their program. Players, staff, NIL, etc…. If there was anything about the program Ben didn’t like he could have resigned at any point. Time to accept the fact that Ben is not a P4 HC.
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This might be the worst take 2025
 

Bad Gopher said:
As necessary as this move is, it's sad as hell. It's too bad it had to come to this, especially with an alum. You saw it with Juwan Howard and now here: bringing in an alumnus based on hope more than a belief that he knows what he's doing. As Howie put it a couple weeks ago, the risk of hiring him wasn't a coin flip; it was a lottery ticket. It remains the most bizarre hiring decision I've seen in my days.

Gopher Lady can go on and on all she wants on Twitter. (I unfollowed her years ago because of her meanness to people, so I'll have to take folks' word for it.) What does she think this is? I'll tell her and everyone what this is. College sports is entertainment, and these four years have been only sporadically entertaining, to the point that thousands of our fellow fans have left the fan base. The erosion of that fan base is alarming and disastrous. The other thing college sports is is--and I'd posted this elsewhere--the main connection between alumni and their university. Most people aren't like my wife, who's been active in her college's alumni board, or me, who's connected to CSE research efforts. For most alumni of any school, the sports bring you back. That's why there's such thing as Homecoming. Successful sports create interest and bring in donations in many venues. It's a big deal. It's hugely important.

Johnson has worked hard and cared deeply and recruited fine young men, which along with him have represented the U well. They will all be beloved fellow alumni. But this was so necessary.
Click to expand...
Sad as hell? I'm literally throwing a party today.

And aside from all the other reasons this was a terrible hire, his one "positive" - that he is an alumnus - is sullied by the fact that he didn't choose to go here initially, he transferred.

Bye Ben! Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya! Have fun as DBO at Eastern Kentucky!
 

Tucker32 said:
Gopher Lady going off on Twitter… this was inevitable and has been known for awhile. And, while Ben has needed resources, he hasn’t done a good job coaching this team over the last four years. I know Ben, like Ben, and wanted him to be successful. However, this needed to happen. The Barn was dead, unlike anything I have seen since the final year Monson was coach. You can’t win in this era with the apathy there is for Ben. There are people ready to give to the program, but they don’t want to invest in a coach they don’t believe in - and I get that. While PJ can drive me nuts, he gets out and works for support, and has demonstrated he is worth supporting. Ben didn’t do that.

Now, I’m all about supporting our AD in getting a coach who will bring excitement and win.
Click to expand...
As I've said in previous posts, I've worked with and for leaders who were clearly in over their heads. It is painful for everyone, morale suffers and the ironic thing is, most everyone intrinsically knows it isn't working. Some choose to accept reality, and some choose to do mental gymnastics to try and explain it away. Bottom line - it is usually best for all parties involved to end the dysfunction, quickly and respectfully, using plain language.

I'm not rejoicing in his firing. He seems like a genuinely good dude who tried his damndest to make it work. In my opinion, he simply was not ready for the jump he took. Short of being a generational phenom, there are reasons why coaches come up through the ranks to achieve a head coach position in the highest leagues. That seasoning cannot be overlooked. We went with a lottery ticket. It wasn't a winner.
 

Big Dawg said:
He’s gone so no need to pile on. That being said, most of us were never “sold”. No fault of his own? B.S. ALL coaches own everything about their program. Players, staff, NIL, etc…. If there was anything about the program Ben didn’t like he could have resigned at any point. Time to accept the fact that Ben is not a P4 HC.
Click to expand...

Re-read the post you responded to. Transfers and NIL absolutely made the job more difficult. If the team wasn't scraping the bottom of the barrel for NIL.....decent chance that Hawkins and Payne wouldn't have jumped ship.
 

Bad Gopher said:
As necessary as this move is, it's sad as hell. It's too bad it had to come to this, especially with an alum. You saw it with Juwan Howard and now here: bringing in an alumnus based on hope more than a belief that he knows what he's doing. As Howie put it a couple weeks ago, the risk of hiring him wasn't a coin flip; it was a lottery ticket. It remains the most bizarre hiring decision I've seen in my days.

Gopher Lady can go on and on all she wants on Twitter. (I unfollowed her years ago because of her meanness to people, so I'll have to take folks' word for it.) What does she think this is? I'll tell her and everyone what this is. College sports is entertainment, and these four years have been only sporadically entertaining, to the point that thousands of our fellow fans have left the fan base. The erosion of that fan base is alarming and disastrous. The other thing college sports is is--and I'd posted this elsewhere--the main connection between alumni and their university. Most people aren't like my wife, who's been active in her college's alumni board, or me, who's connected to CSE research efforts. For most alumni of any school, the sports bring you back. That's why there's such thing as Homecoming. Successful sports create interest and bring in donations in many venues. It's a big deal. It's hugely important.

Johnson has worked hard and cared deeply and recruited fine young men, which along with him have represented the U well. They will all be beloved fellow alumni. But this was so necessary.
Click to expand...

Spot on! Per usual, a very well thought out and articulated post from @Bad Gopher.

I always enjoy your posts.
 


I always wonder in situations like this if the fired person feels a significant sense of relief.
Can't believe the last four seasons have been much fun for Ben.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Sad as hell? I'm literally throwing a party today.
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It would be kind of awesome if everyone left early from work today and headed to dinkytown for a massive outdoor block party, celebrating this firing. Really rub salt in it for Ben and make it obvious where fans stand.
 

golf said:
I always wonder in situations like this if the fired person feels a significant sense of relief.
Can't believe the last four seasons have been much fun for Ben.
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Kinda like a UFC fighter who's on the ground getting the crap beat out of him, cuts on his face, swollen eyes, etc. and is just waiting for the ref to step in.
 


Ay 8:46 AM CDT, I got a notice from Reuters and Alexa about the firing. It seems timing matters.
 

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I’m sure Coyle felt he couldn’t roll out Ben next year hoping for better results with more NIL and resources and if he did and it failed, both would be gone after next year(others have mentioned it on the board). It’s an experiment that failed, Ben worked hard, tried hard, but the landscape has changed and if the Gophers are going to compete in the new landscape, a change had to be made and it’s a relatively low risk change. The next coach is going to have a nearly clean slate to start with and if they have any personality and charisma, it won’t take much to energize the dormant fan base.
 

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