Ben Johnson is a Disaster

The problem isn't this years record, it's how far away we are from being competitive. Even if Evans and Christie live up to the billing, how much does that improve us? From 2-18 to 6-14? 7-13? Then what?
They come back the next year and improve on that? Crazy isn't it?
 

Absolutely Coyle hired a coach with no coaching experience with a insane transfer portal coming to life. He knew he was punting on the next couple years.
What an absolutely smoldering take!

I have seen coach apologists before but I never thought I'd see a fan arguing that Year 2 was Year Zero, yet we are somehow a worse team than a the figment of our imagination season or as normal people call it Ben's first year.
 



The problem isn't this years record, it's how far away we are from being competitive. Even if Evans and Christie live up to the billing, how much does that improve us? From 2-18 to 6-14? 7-13? Then what?

What do I know -- I think Gophers will be excellent on defense and in the paint.

Can't count on Cameron Christie, a shooting guard, for a year. Guard takes awhile.

Gophers really need Braedon Carrington to emerge next year at shooting guard. Guard in general is the pivotal element, the uncertain element. Really need quality production there.
 


Yeah I bet they fire him! Even you know that's not happening.
I never said it was going to happen, it was someone else's hypothetical. I was simply saying that IF they brought him back after winning 12 Big 10 games out of 60, that would be crazy.

Do I think that will happen (we'll only win 12)? Probably not but I'm a homer.
 

Eh Coyle hired a coach with no experience knowing the team essentially quit on the prior coach and no desire to stay together. Ben decided to retain 0 coaches and start over. Don't think the AD cared about the recoeds about the last 2 years and neither will I.
Then fire Coyle.
 

I never said it was going to happen, it was someone else's hypothetical. I was simply saying that IF they brought him back after winning 12 Big 10 games out of 60, that would be crazy.

Do I think that will happen (we'll only win 12)? Probably not but I'm a homer.
It would look like a program trending upwards and any AD would be an idiot to fire.
 
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You can make a reasonable argument that he deserves more time. I certainly would agree with you. But why do people continue to make excuses for the roster HE created? The cupboard wasn't bare when he arrived. Most of the players went into the portal after he was hired. That's his responsibility. Then he chose to fill the roster with one year players. That's also his responsibility. Again....I'm not advocating for his dismissal a year and a half in, but can we at least speak honestly about the roster?
What did he start the season last year with, roster wise?
 



I have been consistent. The football circumstances PJ inherited were far worse than BJ in basketball. You could see what PJ was building his first 3 weeks on the job. He's the best roster manager I've seen for football, and there is always depth at every position.

BJ has been the opposite. Last year's roster didn't make sense, and this year's makes even less sense. There's no offense or defensive plan on top of a poorly constructed roster. The results on the court have been horrific. The difference between the two coaches is night and day.
I’m old enough to remember Claeys last team winning 9 games and a core of that group helping PJs 3rd team (Winfield, Johnson, and the oline.). Not even close to being worse imo.
 
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Coaches are fired when programs are trending down, plateau, or a scandal hits.
Going from last to third to last isn't the kind of trend that usually allows someone to keep their job. If after 3 seasons we go from ungodly bad, to just really bad, no one would blame Coyle for canning Ben Johnson. No one.

You're playing games with the "trending upward" BS.

If we go 4-16, 2-18 (that's down), 5-15, 6-14, 7-13 - - - he is done and that is trending upwards.

I'm not saying that's what we'll do, I'm just saying that coaches whose programs are in the absolute sh!tter can get canned for making small improvements on their record.

No one would blame an AD for canning a coach that had three terrible seasons. Just because 6 wins is better than 2 doesn't make it acceptable after 3 years.
 



Our guy Mega Tongue felt the program was going no where.

If Coyle isn't here in that hypothetical then Ben might be screwed.
You said no AD would fire him then. Now you're saying if any other AD was here he'd be screwed.

We'll let you wiggle out of that bad take.
 

Coaches are fired when programs are trending down, plateau, or a scandal hits.

Hey if we win 3 games next year, it may be a trend up! Can’t fire someone for winning half as many games in year 3 as the last fired coach won in his final season…
 

Going from last to third to last isn't the kind of trend that usually allows someone to keep their job. If after 3 seasons we go from ungodly bad, to just really bad, no one would blame Coyle for canning Ben Johnson. No one.

You're playing games with the "trending upward" BS.

If we go 4-16, 2-18 (that's down), 5-15, 6-14, 7-13 - - - he is done and that is trending upwards.

I'm not saying that's what we'll do, I'm just saying that coaches whose programs are in the absolute sh!tter can get canned for making small improvements on their record.

No one would blame an AD for canning a coach that had three terrible seasons. Just because 6 wins is better than 2 doesn't make it acceptable after 3 years.
I don't think coaches get fired after 3 years baring a scandal. Especially if the same AD that hired him is still here.
 

You seriously think Purdue is the best in the nation? The Big 10 is going to get run out the NCAA as usual.
Yes, I do. Best basketball conference in the country.
 


You said no AD would fire him then. Now you're saying if any other AD was here he'd be screwed.

We'll let you wiggle out of that bad take.
No wiggling out. I'll stick by it. If they go 7-13 there's 0% chance he gets fired by any AD.
 



What did he start the season last year with, roster wise?

The first and most important recruitment that Ben Johnson needed to do the first week he was hired was the 11 players that hadn't entered the portal by the time he was hired. He succeeded with one -- Ihnen. (i.e. Micah Shrewsberry). My biggest issue with Ben, as a guy that believes he needs more time, has been his roster construction. In my view, the last two years would have better with more stability year over year. Likely not a tournament team in either year, but not this.
 



The first and most important recruitment that Ben Johnson needed to do the first week he was hired was the 11 players that hadn't entered the portal by the time he was hired. He succeeded with one -- Ihnen. (i.e. Micah Shrewsberry). My biggest issue with Ben, as a guy that believes he needs more time, has been his roster construction. In my view, the last two years would have better with more stability year over year. Likely not a tournament team in either year, but not this.
I don't think he has a chance to retain them.
 





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