COYLE FIRES BEN JOHNSON!!!!!!

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NateDawgUM said:
Why is he doing this at 1 in the morning?

In the attention economy your goal is to get maximum press, this should have dropped around tip-off of the BTT today.

Everyone is going to wake up, see the news on their own schedule, then go on with their day.

Consistently feels like Coyle has zero understanding of the media landscape in 2025.
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I think you want all the attention while hiring not necessarily while firing someone. I don’t see how it does hs any good to get a ton of attention to highlight how awful of a program we have.
 






WOW! I started to think they wouldn't do it. Let's GO! Coyle: 1. Go get a big time coach 2. Call the recruits personally and ask them to hold in there and give the new coach a chance to talk with them. I'd love to keep the HS kids who committed. Good group
 




This was the right move. I know a number of you have spent time dreaming up all kinds of conspiracy theories but this was the only move that made sense given how the team did this year and the lack of talent coming back next year.

Gotta nail the hire and give the new coach the resources he needs to compete in this new college basketball landscape.

As for the timing....it is a little odd to release it when they did but not surprised it came quickly and shortly after Coyle had a chance to meet with Johnson in person. That is how he usually seems to handle firings.
 

Gilthorp57 said:
Kinda of shocked Coyle had the stones to do it and almost in Lane Kiffen tarmac style too. Ben's a good guy, but something had to be done. Hopefully Coyle has an experienced coach lined up who can reboot the fan base, rebuild the roster, and fluent in X's and O's.
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Coyle is bad in the PR role but he isn’t an idiot. There was no other alternative but to move on. I personally think that it could have damaged the whole department if he hoisted the white flag in basketball, relegating us to paid loser status. I think he has a plan. We’ll see.
 


Gilthorp57 said:
Kinda of shocked Coyle had the stones to do it and almost in Lane Kiffen tarmac style too. Ben's a good guy, but something had to be done. Hopefully Coyle has an experienced coach lined up who can reboot the fan base, rebuild the roster, and fluent in X's and O's.
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I like he didn’t waste any time. Took him off the plane and that was it. Now we can talk about more fun stuff and not dwell on this nonsense anymore.
 



bga1 said:
WOW! I started to think they wouldn't do it. Let's GO! Coyle: 1. Go get a big time coach 2. Call the recruits personally and ask them to hold in there and give the new coach a chance to talk with them. I'd love to keep the HS kids who committed. Good group
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I’d like the new coach to come with a few Big Ten ready players. Signing bonus for the kids?
 

Holy Man said:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Coyle is bad in the PR role but he isn’t an idiot. There was no other alternative but to move on. I personally think that it could have damaged the whole department if he hoisted the white flag in basketball, relegating us to paid loser status. I think he has a plan. We’ll see.
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Yeah, Coyle is definitely awkward in front of the cameras but not sure why some were so convinced that he couldn't see the things that were plainly obvious this season. The really funny theories were the ones that said Coyle was the one leading the media blitz the last few days in support of Johnson, or that he was somehow desperate to find a way to keep Ben as the coach inspite of the record and lack of talent coming back.
 


MNVCGUY said:
Yeah, Coyle is definitely awkward in front of the cameras but not sure why some were so convinced that he couldn't see the things that were plainly obvious this season. The really funny theories were the ones that said Coyle was the one leading the media blitz the last few days in support of Johnson, or that he was somehow desperate to find a way to keep Ben as the coach inspite of the record and lack of talent coming back.
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"Nothing is a coincidence"
 
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I don't understand why anyone would be upset about the timing. You don't fire someone when it's most convenient for the general public. Sure sounds like the coach was fired, in person, by Coyle as soon as the team returned from Indy. You can't fire him and then wait until morning before announcing it, because it would most certainly have leaked to the media almost immediately, then you've got a big P.R. mess to clean up.
 

Not that I'm shocked, but it's minnesota sports, so glad he actually did it.

As far as timing, I think people are REALLY over thinking this. I'm sure he waited for them to get back, talked to him and then put it out ASAP. Along with that, 1. Who cares about the timing, it's 2025, everyone knows and 2. If people were worried about being in the news, on a day full of bball we are now the first quick talking point so good enough.

I'm also glad it was ASAP, get Asuma locked in (if we lose anyone else ohh well) and I think this also means he's got someone lined up and will hire the moment that person is available.
 

Johnson had to go. The situation was untenable.

As I've said multiple times before, the new U president, who has the lowest public profile of any major university president I've ever seen, needs to send Coyle packing as well. Major college sports are professional sports with one or two less zeros. It was Coyle's job to get the money for Ben to buy and keep decent players. He didn't. What little Coyle raised went to Fleck who produces eight wins a year one the field and twelve wins in the press room. That's considered huge.

If Dinkytown gets real money almost any coach will look good. It starts with Coyle.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
I don't understand why anyone would be upset about the timing. You don't fire someone when it's most convenient for the general public. Sure sounds like the coach was fired, in person, by Coyle as soon as the team returned from Indy. You can't fire him and then wait until morning before announcing it, because it would most certainly have leaked to the media almost immediately, then you've got a big P.R. mess to clean up.
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Seems pretty simple to hold a meeting at 10 am or whatever and review the season and let him go. Releasing a press release at 1 a.m. is clownish and there's a reason no one does it. It creates another reason for outside people to make fun of the program unnecessarily.
 


Johnnyboy18 said:
Seems pretty simple to hold a meeting at 10 am or whatever and review the season and let him go. Releasing a press release at 1 a.m. is clownish and there's a reason no one does it. It creates another reason for outside people to make fun of the program unnecessarily.
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As said earlier, why draw attention to your failures? Actually the smart move in my opinion.
 

Johnnyboy18 said:
there's a reason no one does it
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My guess is that you really don't know when anyone gets fired. You can't state this as fact. That's okay, this is a message board and we all come here to post when we aren't on our A-game.

The poster you quoted laid it out pretty well. There is good reason why it happened like it did. Nobody should be bitching and moaning about this in the least. My take on it is that Coyle showed some class and did it in the way he thought was best. I could be wrong.
 





I don’t really know if Johnson was a good coach or not because I’m not a coach. But I do know that lack of NIL funds cost them Hawkins and Payne. With those two guys they would be an NCAA tournament team. Seems like they will continue to struggle if they can’t raise more dollars beyond the new agreement allowing them to pay players, since everyone gets to do that.
 


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