Neal: Moving forward with Ben Johnson is the only option for Gophers men’s basketball

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WilliamsArenaGuy said:
But why is he even likable? I find him to be the least charismatic coach that I have maybe ever heard speak. He’s neither funny nor interesting nor informative. So yeah he’s not anybody that’s going to create negative controversy, but what is there to like?
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I said "likable". Goes way beyond charisma alone. For example.....Lane Kiffin is charismatic. Doesn't make him popular.

WoodburyTim said:
Some want to see it as the lone issue because of personal beliefs, but it is impossible to deny that you refuse to believe it plays any factor because of your personal beliefs.

The truth is somewhere in the middle.
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It probably didn't have zero impact on the decision. I just don't buy that it was a primary decision for his hiring.
 

stocker08 said:
I said "likable". Goes way beyond charisma alone. For example.....Lane Kiffin is charismatic. Doesn't make him popular.



It probably didn't have zero impact on the decision. I just don't buy that it was a primary decision for his hiring.
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I'll agree with you there. I don't think it was the biggest factor in his hire and probably even a smaller factor in his being retained. There was a lot of attention on the program and the universities overall coaching diversity at the time of the hire (a simple Google search returns dozens of media articles discussing it one way or the other and comments it on it from the AD and President) so it is pretty hard to say it wasn't at least part of the discussion.

But for good or bad, I don't think it has much to do with his media support or support from the U right now. And sadly, that is probably because the program is so low visibility right now. Yeah we discuss it on threads on the Hole, but most sports fans I know, even avid ones, don't watch anymore let alone become invested enough to be passionate about Ben one way or the other. I think most of our media falls into that bucket.
 



WilliamsArenaGuy said:
But why is he even likable? I find him to be the least charismatic coach that I have maybe ever heard speak. He’s neither funny nor interesting nor informative. So yeah he’s not anybody that’s going to create negative controversy, but what is there to like?
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Same impression of him I got a number of years ago when he was working for Pitino. Richard had poached him off Tim Miles' staff at Nebraska. All I'd heard about him was that he was one of the promising young assistant coaches in the country. Then I saw an interview with him, and I was like, really? This guy has no pizzazz at all!
 



howeda7 said:
Yes. But one of them is that the local sports media just doesn't even pay attention to Gopher basketball. I buy it could be political for one or two of them like Souhan, but it doesn't explain the near universal takes. It's at least partially just lazy, uninformed takes.
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Well, one simple thing, for whatever it's worth to you, is that these folks have access to Coyle and Ben. They can pick up a phone and actually get to them to have a (quick) conversation. Hear their thoughts.

Have you ever talked to either of them? I have not (just saying).
 

howeda7 said:
ZZZ. There's no local media cabal deciding their group think Gopher basketball takes
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You don't think Barreiro, Souhan, Neal, etc. all talk to each other on a constant basis?

I know for a fact that Neal is a weekly guest on Dan's show.
 

Stan said:
Spot on. He’s dull AF.
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I'm guessing being non-dull in front of a camera and being likable could be quite different things.

I would wild guess that Fleck could be seen as the opposite (high in the first and not so much in the second).
 



Always interesting to watch the ebb and flow of Gopher opinions/overreactions that occur after every game. A loss to North Texas/Washington/Penn Sttate and Ben Johnson should be fired the next day. A two game winning streak in California and the local media comes out in force in support of his continued employment. Sort of misses the reality had the Gophers made a couple more shots then the North Texas game would have been an uninspiring win but a win. If UCLA had shot a competent free throw percentage then the result would have been a nice comeback attempt but still a loss. Any singular game does not define a tenure, nor should it.

The reality is the decision to move on or keep him must be based on the totality of his four years and the prospects for the future. Not based on any singular half/game/week. Based on the view through that lens, Neal is right. There is only one option for Gophers men's basketball. He just picked the wrong option.
 
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golfing18now said:
Always interesting to watch the ebb and flow of Gopher opinions/overreactions that occur after every game. A loss to North Texas/Washington/Penn Sttate and Ben Johnson should be fired the next day. A two game winning streak in California and the local media comes out in force in support of his continued employment. Sort of misses the reality had the Gophers made a couple more shots then the North Texas game would have been an uninspiring win but a win. If UCLA had shot a competent free throw percentage then the result would have been a nice comeback attempt but still a loss. Any singular game does not define a tenure, nor should it.

The reality is the decision to move on or keep him must be based on the totality of his four years and the prospects for the future. Not based on any singular half/game/week. Based on the view through that lens, Neal is right. There is only one option for Gophers men's basketball. He just picked the wrong option.
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Yep, this is why you don't often see coaches fired or extended during the season. You wait until the season is done and then you evaluate the whole body of work to make the decision on what to do moving forward.

After year three there were some upward trends with the program that made year 4 make sense on some levels.

As year 4 draws to a close there is nothing trending in the right direction with the squad (baring a complete miracle finish that isn't going to happen).

These decisions are complicated but too me it is an easy call to pull the plug after this season. Start the revenue sharing era with a new coach and new roster. The key is that Coyle absolutely has to nail this hire similar to how he did when he hired Fleck for football.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Yep, this is why you don't often see coaches fired or extended during the season. You wait until the season is done and then you evaluate the whole body of work to make the decision on what to do moving forward.

After year three there were some upward trends with the program that made year 4 make sense on some levels.

As year 4 draws to a close there is nothing trending in the right direction with the squad (baring a complete miracle finish that isn't going to happen).

These decisions are complicated but too me it is an easy call to pull the plug after this season. Start the revenue sharing era with a new coach and new roster. The key is that Coyle absolutely has to nail this hire similar to how he did when he hired Fleck for football.
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Coach P has the women in the hunt for a bid and is landing some high end recruits.

It wouldn’t surprise me, if he has a short list and will be putting out trial balloons to their agents/contacts in the near future.
 

I am going to wait for the Ben Johnson vintages to mature before I judge its bouquet or body. I will wait patiently.
 



MNVCGUY said:
Yep, this is why you don't often see coaches fired or extended during the season. You wait until the season is done and then you evaluate the whole body of work to make the decision on what to do moving forward.

After year three there were some upward trends with the program that made year 4 make sense on some levels.

As year 4 draws to a close there is nothing trending in the right direction with the squad (baring a complete miracle finish that isn't going to happen).

These decisions are complicated but too me it is an easy call to pull the plug after this season. Start the revenue sharing era with a new coach and new roster. The key is that Coyle absolutely has to nail this hire similar to how he did when he hired Fleck for football.
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Whenever something is an "easy call", there is always something overlooked that would have made the decision that much harder to make. Never make a decision when it is "easy". Dig deeper until the pain of making the decision compels the best possible choice. No pain. No gain. Right?
 


touchdownvikings said:
I think it's plain to see that:

1. Ben can identify talent, including talent that requires a skilled eye to locate.

2. His teams get better as the season goes on.

Those two things tell me he's got what it takes to be a coach.

That said, I don't think it's in his personality to be a CEO. Can he locate the best assistant coaches? Maintain and expand connections to other assistant coaches and head coaches to develop a "bench" of prospective replacement candidates? Work the high-net-worth community and business community to fund a competitive NIL fund? And so on.

If the AD could shoulder the CEO part, I think he can shoulder the coach part effectively and successfully. ...But if we're counting on Ben to, for example, solve the NIL problem by himself, that's not going to happen. He's not PJ (who most certainly IS a CEO) -- and to be fair, few are: I don't think Ryan Day has what it takes to really be a CEO, but he's in an environment where that's not needed.

We need to put Ben in an environment where he can be a coach without being a CEO. ...Or we need to locate a candidate than can be BOTH.
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How is it clear that Ben can identify talent?

His recruiting hasn’t been very good. He has way more misses than hits. Every obscure recruit has been bad - we don’t have like. Jordan Murphy type.
 


ShushPush said:
Whenever something is an "easy call", there is always something overlooked that would have made the decision that much harder to make. Never make a decision when it is "easy". Dig deeper until the pain of making the decision compels the best possible choice. No pain. No gain. Right?
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What do you think has been overlooked in the decision to terminate Ben Johnson's contract as head coach of the Gophers men's basketball team?
Is it the overall record?
Is it the lack of talent in the recruiting pool?
Is it the lack of facilities?
Is it the overall budget for the team?
Is it a lack of support from the AD and University leadership?

After four years, what has been overlooked?
 

I am not a fan of using him taking a roster that was picked to finish last and bring somewhat competitive as an argument for keeping him. This is year four, so the roster is on him. Whether he assembles rosters picked to finish awful and then finishes just poorly, the result is the same as if he had a roster picked to finish poor but not awful and finished that way. Overperforming your expectations isn't really a positive if you are responsible the expectations were so low coming in.

If the Twins signed a starter who consistently posted an ERA of 10.00+, i wouldnt think that starter was a good one if he posted a 7.00 ERA just because he did better than i expected him to.
 

kg21 said:
No Garcia next year, with only Asuma returning, a weak recruiting class and we want to extend.

It's Minnesota Sports so why the hell not.

I'm laughing at the thought of us next year minus Garcia.

No one apparently cares!
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That’s why you have the blind hope of transfer portal. No freshman is replacing Garcia. Only shot at replacing him is through the portal.

Get a quality two guard and big to go along with Asuma and they should be ok.

Craziness happens in the portal.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
That’s why you have the blind hope of transfer portal. No freshman is replacing Garcia. Only shot at replacing him is through the portal.

Get a quality two guard and big to go along with Asuma and they should be ok.

Craziness happens in the portal.
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Ok, as in 5 or 6 Big 10 wins?
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Coach P has the women in the hunt for a bid and is landing some high end recruits.

It wouldn’t surprise me, if he has a short list and will be putting out trial balloons to their agents/contacts in the near future.
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Ben has more quality wins this year, but I agree the women have a better program foundation.
 

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