COYLE FIRES BEN JOHNSON!!!!!!

[golf]

Per the CBS report:

"Minnesota has ranked in the bottom two or three in the Big Ten in NIL resources for the duration of Johnson's tenure, according to industry sources. Johnson and his staff were responsible for raising nearly all of Minnesota's NIL budget — approximately $2 million for this past season, per a source. The team was handcuffed all the more by key losses in the portal last spring, including point guard Elijah Hawkins (Texas Tech) and power forward Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M), who got much larger financial opportunities to play elsewhere. Additionally, two other players portaled out and promising freshman Cam Christie left for the NBA".

Their reporting didn’t seem to confirm the rosy NIL levels that GH’ers said Ben had access to?

I am far from an expert on nil, but this would seem to contradict your source.

NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Collectives – Big Ten Schools – NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

nil-ncaa.com

 

[Rex]

Free time? Seriously, you went with 'free time." Here is my proposed call schedule: Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate. Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate. Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate. Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate. Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate. Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate. Call to candidate. Call to donor. Call to transfer candidate.

As of this minute, Coyle is the defacto head coach of the team which is why I included calls to players in the transfer portal.

2024-25 Men's Basketball Coaches - University of Minnesota Athletics

The official Men's Basketball Coach List for the University of Minnesota Gophers

gophersports.com

Ben's bio was taken off the site early this morning. Generally, when a coaching change is made, the remaining assistants contact whoever needs to be contacted.

 

[ShushPush]

2024-25 Men's Basketball Coaches - University of Minnesota Athletics

The official Men's Basketball Coach List for the University of Minnesota Gophers

gophersports.com

Ben's bio was taken off the site early this morning. Generally, when a coaching change is made, the remaining assistants contact whoever needs to be contacted.

Satire: insert definition here.

 

[Gopherchase]

Per the CBS report:

"Minnesota has ranked in the bottom two or three in the Big Ten in NIL resources for the duration of Johnson's tenure, according to industry sources. Johnson and his staff were responsible for raising nearly all of Minnesota's NIL budget — approximately $2 million for this past season, per a source. The team was handcuffed all the more by key losses in the portal last spring, including point guard Elijah Hawkins (Texas Tech) and power forward Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M), who got much larger financial opportunities to play elsewhere. Additionally, two other players portaled out and promising freshman Cam Christie left for the NBA".

Their reporting didn’t seem to confirm the rosy NIL levels that GH’ers said Ben had access to?

Whoever the new coach is should have a GM with experience managing a roster and budgets. Coyle needs to give every resource for the new coach to succeed instead of hopes and prayers.

PJ runs a master class every year in all of this stuff and is doing an amazing job keeping his players around why then was Johnson such an abject failure at the whole process? We didn’t have anyone who could bridge that gap for him and teach him some of the stuff that PJ has been able to do?

 

[atsgopher]

I am far from an expert on nil, but this would seem to contradict your source.

NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Collectives – Big Ten Schools – NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

nil-ncaa.com

This source is the wrong time period; it is concerning the future system.

Ben’s would be numbers from years past.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

I am far from an expert on nil, but this would seem to contradict your source.

NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Collectives – Big Ten Schools – NCAA Revenue Sharing & NIL Estimates 2025

nil-ncaa.com

There's nothing in that article that breaks down NIL funding by sport. Also, unlike the majority of schools in the Big Ten, we field a hockey team and that directly competes with basketball for fans, donations, funding, etc.

 

[Dave H]

Did you seriously think about the job requirements for each before posting?

Do you think good programs have the coach as the primary money raiser?

They may be the face, but the work is done elsewhere. Coaches show up for prearranged events.

Fundraising is a hard, full time job.

Coaching is a hard full time 70-80 hour a week job.

There are only 168 hours in a week. Both require hours that compete with each other.

That would be collassal error in system design and admin infrastructure to combine the duties.

No, but I dont think we make him do that either. I think that entire blurb was BS put out by Johnson's agent as a way to cya. Problem is it happened to highlight something many of us have said, that he can't sell a program.

I truly trust zero national pundits when it comes to this job. Not one of them has any clue or any real sources when it comes to the U of M.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

Whoever the new coach is should have a GM with experience managing a roster and budgets.

Don't you think that should be handled on a centralized basis within the athletic department?

 

[mngolf]

But then Ben leaks it and starts shaping the narrative with his friendly local and national media guys. It’s PR 101 to control the message, and if that means the news is released at 1 am, then that’s what you do (I’m a longtime PR guy, with a local professional team, with agencies and large global corporations).

Hopefully not the Bears as they're terrible at pr

 

[WindyCityGopher]

Hopefully not the Bears as they're terrible at pr

Ha! I’m a Packers fan so I’d have to be dead before I worked for the Bears. And not even then. I worked for a Minnesota team before moving to Chicago.

 

[Stan]

He gone.

 

[Johnnyboy18]

PJ runs a master class every year in all of this stuff and is doing an amazing job keeping his players around why then was Johnson such an abject failure at the whole process? We didn’t have anyone who could bridge that gap for him and teach him some of the stuff that PJ has been able to do?

He has a GM.

 

[howeda7]

(if you believe whoever CBS has as a source...my guess Ben Johnsons agent)

Or Marcus Fuller. Which may or may not be the same person.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

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.

From what I read, he flew back from the NCAA selection meeting to meet with Johnson.

He met with him, and did the release after.

 

[golf]

This source is the wrong time period; it is concerning the future system.

Ben’s would be numbers from years past.

If u scroll down it gives '23-'24.

 

[golf]

There's nothing in that article that breaks down NIL funding by sport. Also, unlike the majority of schools in the Big Ten, we field a hockey team and that directly competes with basketball for fans, donations, funding, etc.

Correct. No way to know how funds are distributed and other schools may have more or less sports than gophs.
Point is that some would have us believe that gophs have way less nil than everyone else. This is not true for the gopher program as a whole. Is it true for the bb program? Maybe, maybe not.
Again, I've been checked out on gopher BB the last 4 yrs so maybe am missing something, but way it seems to me.

 

[atsgopher]

If u scroll down it gives '23-'24.

You’re correct sir.

Correct. No way to know how funds are distributed and other schools may have more or less sports than gophs.
Point is that some would have us believe that gophs have way less nil than everyone else. This is not true for the gopher program as a whole. Is it true for the bb program? Maybe, maybe not.
Again, I've been checked out on gopher BB the last 4 yrs so maybe am missing something, but way it seems to me.

Got to check out their methodology.

That isn’t sourced data. It is an estimate made for every school, based on p5 schools reported contributions. The assumption being that contribution revenue is indicative of booster support.

And the Total industry NIL for P5 is also an estimate. That total is taken from a private report estimating what they extrapolate as a market total.

Our particular NIL estimate is made based on contribution reporting is based on seat fees. We account for the Norwood teague seat license fees as “contributions” which are taken to demonstrate “support” by boosters instead of just being added cost to tickets.

What people keep saying about low NIL relative to P5 for the Gophers, is because Coyle admitted to being late to the game about 2 years back. While fundraising. You can find him with driving this with PJ. PJ was out front stumping.

I think football gets the bulk. I would like to say $2 for bball is from a source this season that was discussed (possibly Ryan James?)

Anecdotally, We lost a guy to NE because it was said that they doubled our $125k offer. However, that is also unverified.

 

[Wally]

I have signed basketballs from both Pitino and Ben. Yesterday over lunch, and prior to our game, I bought a new basketball - to be signed by our next coach. 100% true story. Had a strong feeling.

It would be cooler if you had them all sign the same ball...