Why did Ben Johnson head to Xavier?

[skiumah1]

One of the bigger question marks for me that flies under the radar is why Ben Johnson would leave Pitino's staff to take what I would think of as a demotion at Xavier?

That's a nice Minnesota connection he has and heard he's a guy who just loves the game.

Anybody have facts or reasoning behind this move?

 

[Ope3]

One of the bigger question marks for me that flies under the radar is why Ben Johnson would leave Pitino's staff to take what I would think of as a demotion at Xavier?

That's a nice Minnesota connection he has and heard he's a guy who just loves the game.

Anybody have facts or reasoning behind this move?

Why are you thinking of it as a demotion?

 

[builtbadgers]

One of the bigger question marks for me that flies under the radar is why Ben Johnson would leave Pitino's staff to take what I would think of as a demotion at Xavier?

That's a nice Minnesota connection he has and heard he's a guy who just loves the game.

Anybody have facts or reasoning behind this move?

Hardly a demotion. Far superior program and grows his recruiting profile.

 

[Gopherfan84]

One of the bigger question marks for me that flies under the radar is why Ben Johnson would leave Pitino's staff to take what I would think of as a demotion at Xavier?

That's a nice Minnesota connection he has and heard he's a guy who just loves the game.

Anybody have facts or reasoning behind this move?

Promotion of title, better money, and better history of moving on to head jobs. Was a no brainer.

 

[theczar]

Pitino did not bump him up so he moved on

 

[skiumah1]

Does Xavier has the resources that Minnesota has? If Xavier is a better program than Minnesota, that's brutal. It may be right now but as far as ceilings I would think Minnesota's should be higher.

Was he the 3rd assistant here? I guess I didn't realize he was moving up with money and title.

Just seems wrong to lose Minnesota assistants to Xavier. I guess you would see that as a promotion if you're Johnson though.

I think maybe I just don't wanna believe that.

Just had to look this up below. Whatever it means.

The Best College Basketball Programs

College basketball has long been a breeding ground for young athletes looking to make their mark on the sport, and over the years, numerous institutions have emerged as powerhouses. The best college basketball programs have not only produced some of the finest players in history, but have also...

www.ranker.com

Ranking Top College Basketball Programs of All Time

Gophers at 48

 

[LakevilleBro]

Xavier is a big time basketball program. They do not worry about being a bubble team, they worry about far they will go in the tournament.

 

[Stan]

OP must be Jim Souhan.

 

[Plato]

Xavier runs through HCs like water through a sieve. It is a stepping stone school for coaches.
True they have done better than MN in the NCAA tournament but that has not been hard to do.
It is not necessarily a step up.

 

[skiumah1]

Xavier runs through HCs like water through a sieve. It is a stepping stone school for coaches.
True they have done better than MN in the NCAA tournament but that has not been hard to do.
It is not necessarily a step up.

You beat me to it. I was gonna say why do coaches keep leaving then?

 

[skiumah1]

Xavier legitimately made the tournament 15/16 and did damage most of the time the past 15 out of 16 years and went through Thad Matta, Sean Miller, Chris Mack, and now Steele missed the tournament in his first year last year. You'd think somebody would stay. Lack of resources?

 

[Gopherfan84]

Xavier legitimately made the tournament 15/16 and did damage most of the time the past 15 out of 16 years and went through Thad Matta, Sean Miller, Chris Mack, and now Steele missed the tournament in his first year last year. You'd think somebody would stay. Lack of resources?

They got top 15 jobs in the country. They'd leave MN for AZ and Louisville too.

 

[Gopherfan84]

Xavier runs through HCs like water through a sieve. It is a stepping stone school for coaches.
True they have done better than MN in the NCAA tournament but that has not been hard to do.
It is not necessarily a step up.

Chris Mack was just there for 9 years. Hardly sieve like

 

[Ope3]

Does Xavier has the resources that Minnesota has? If Xavier is a better program than Minnesota, that's brutal. It may be right now but as far as ceilings I would think Minnesota's should be higher.

Just seems wrong to lose Minnesota assistants to Xavier. I guess you would see that as a promotion if you're Johnson though.

I think maybe I just don't wanna believe that.

Xavier may have had more limited resources in the A10. They had 3 coaches move on 2000-09. Yet they maintained success.

The Big East though, where they have been since 2013, is kind of big deal. Without football, hoops is THE focus sportswise. Each is school is in a major market.

Mack was there 9 seasons, not exactly a short timer. He didn't go just anywhere, he went to Louisville. Enough said with that move.

Xavier has been to the NCAA Tournament 16 times this century. They are doing something right.

If they get poached again, given they like to hire within, Johnson could be in an ideal position to move up. Other than leaving his hometown, no brainer of a career move.

 

[skiumah1]

They got top 15 jobs in the country. They'd leave MN for AZ and Louisville too.

I can see that but that's gotta be frustrating for X. It's still 3 coaches leaving your program in 20 years. I'd hate that if Minnesota were just a stop. That's my main reason for liking a strong Minnesota connection. I get it, winning comes first, but hopefully both. Let's get somebody to stay. I'm a homer but whatever. I still have faith Fleck stays long-term.

 

[skiumah1]

Xavier may have had more limited resources in the A10. They had 3 coaches move on 2000-09. Yet they maintained success.

The Big East though, where they have been since 2013, is kind of big deal. Without football, hoops is THE focus sportswise. Each is school is in a major market.

Mack was there 9 seasons, not exactly a short timer. He didn't go just anywhere, he went to Louisville. Enough said with that move.

Xavier has been to the NCAA Tournament 16 times this century. They are doing something right.

If they get poached again, given they like to hire within, Johnson could be in an ideal position to move up. Other than leaving his hometown, no brainer of a career move.

The A-10 to Big East move is big. Didn't think about that.

 

[LakevilleBro]

Xavier has a prolonged winning program. Going back to 1985, Xavier's Head Coaches had these winning percentages, Pete Gillen .729, Skip Prosser .695, Thad Matta .772, Sean Miller .719, Chris Mack .689. Travis Steele is .603 (in less than 2 years). Gophers winning percentages are, Clem Haskins .588 Dan Monson .527, Tubby Smith .627, Richard Pitino .536. Xavier is a step up from our MN program.

 

[skiumah1]

Xavier has a prolonged winning program. Going back to 1985, Xavier's Head Coaches had these winning percentages, Pete Gillen .729, Skip Prosser .695, Thad Matta .772, Sean Miller .719, Chris Mack .689. Travis Steele is .603 (in less than 2 years). Gophers winning percentages are, Clem Haskins .588 Dan Monson .527, Tubby Smith .627, Richard Pitino .536. Xavier is a step up from our MN program.

Am I just that much of a homer where I can't see that we have a bad basketball program and it's THAT HARD to win here? I'm still putting it on the coaches. Tubby is a slighty above average coach overall and I thought he was alright here, not that I wanted him in the end. Monson just wasn't a very good coach. He's struggling now. Richard had no past success before coming here so I guess we'll find out after he's gone. I don't think it should be that difficult, relatively, to have a successful program at Minnesota.

 

[Gopherfan84]

I can see that but that's gotta be frustrating for X. It's still 3 coaches leaving your program in 20 years. I'd hate that if Minnesota were just a stop. That's my main reason for liking a strong Minnesota connection. I get it, winning comes first, but hopefully both. Let's get somebody to stay. I'm a homer but whatever. I still have faith Fleck stays long-term.

It may be frustrating sure, but it'd be a great problem to have vs firing 3 guys in a century. If PJ Fleck leaves we won't be too upset if his time here includes a rose bowl trip

 

[skiumah1]

It may be frustrating sure, but it'd be a great problem to have vs firing 3 guys in a century. If PJ Fleck leaves we won't be too upset if his time here includes a rose bowl trip

True but it would be nice to just feel confident with a guy that's staying. Damn I just can't come around to the fact of Minnesota being a stepping stone. I don't like that.

 

[Gopherfan84]

True but it would be nice to just feel confident with a guy that's staying. Damn I just can't come around to the fact of Minnesota being a stepping stone. I don't like that.

That's fair, some people that matters too. I'd be honored if Kansas took our coach. At some point you get good enough where they stay.Blue blood status doesn't come quickly and a lot of times not with just one coach.

 

[Tucker32]

Chris Mack was just there for 9 years. Hardly sieve like

They got top 15 jobs in the country. They'd leave MN for AZ and Louisville too.

No they wouldn’t, if winning like Mack was at Xavier. It’s rare to see a coach leave a P5 job if they’re winning. Until the Big East, Xavier was in a mid-major conference. The Big East elevated them as a job because they can pay more due to resources being in Big East.

 

[leftyslefty]

The head coached blamed his assistants for recruiting results and swept them out.

 

[bigyetti18]

I agree with others that it seems odd that Ben left for Xavier, however you cannot deny the success they have had historically. On the surface it seemed like a good idea bringing in Lindsted from Sunrise, but it does not appear that we are pulling kids from this school so I'm not sure what he is bringing to the table....

 

[Bad Gopher]

In the year or two before Ben left, I noticed a good deal of tension and borderline animosity between him and Pitino. I might have even posted about it here. At the time I figured it was only a matter of time before he moved on. Xavier got a good one.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Big East, in it's new form has made it a goal to feast on the recruiting fields of weak D1 teams. This is us.

 

[Gopherfan84]

No they wouldn’t, if winning like Mack was at Xavier. It’s rare to see a coach leave a P5 job if they’re winning. Until the Big East, Xavier was in a mid-major conference. The Big East elevated them as a job because they can pay more due to resources being in Big East.

For a blue blood job they would. Bennett went from Wash St to UVA and that's not a blue blood. Cronin went to UCLA. Martin went to SC, Buzz to A&M, Turgeon to Maryland. Only difference is at MN they may leave sooner because blue bloods would come chomping earlier. Either way, Xavier is currently a significantly better job than the U and it's not close

 

[Spaulding!No!]

We could have had Bennett 2.0? aww jeez this program......I mean ok we missed on Bennett Sr..but miss again.

 

[Ope3]

True but it would be nice to just feel confident with a guy that's staying. Damn I just can't come around to the fact of Minnesota being a stepping stone. I don't like that.

In terms of Head Coaches, I am not sure why it is even a concern when it has not happened in football or men's basketball since 1986 when Holtz left for ND. None of the football coaches since then ever got head job. For basketball, only Tubby Smith got another P6 job after termination.

Looking for someone after the HC left for "greener pastures" seems like a better problem to deal with than finding someone because the coach was fired due to scandal, lack of success or a sudden health issue.

 

[skiumah1]

In terms of Head Coaches, I am not sure why it is even a concern when it has not happened in football or men's basketball since 1986 when Holtz left for ND. None of the football coaches since then ever got head job. For basketball, only Tubby Smith got another P6 job after termination.

Looking for someone after the HC left for "greener pastures" seems like a better problem to deal with than finding someone because the coach was fired due to scandal, lack of success or a sudden health issue.

You're not wrong I just have a lot of confidence in what Coyle has done and who he's brought in so far. Fleck is great, hope he stays. Motzko has the hockey program turning around and I'm confident will continue to rise in the next couple years. I'd imagine he'll stay here after taking this job from St. Cloud State. Whalen is perfect for the women. She'll stay. Hasn't been great but she's bringing in huge recruits in the next year, added to the freshmen who were the best players this year. Not worried there.
I'm confident he'll bring in a good coach, and it wouldn't be terrible if they left, I'd just like somebody to stay. End of the day, I'm good with it as long as we have success. If they leave, they leave.