In the wee hours Thursday morning, Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson was let go by Athletics Director Mark Coyle.
But why did the U drop the news at 1:07 a.m.?
Coyle, who hired Johnson in March 2021, wanted to share his decision with Johnson in-person and communicate it promptly to the team and then quickly make it public, sources told the Pioneer Press. On Wednesday afternoon in Indianapolis, the Gophers were knocked out in the Big Ten Tournament’s first round by Northwestern, 72-64.
NEWS STORY: Gophers fire men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson
After the team’s flight landed in Minneapolis around midnight, Coyle immediately met with Johnson at the Bierman Athletic Building and told him he was being let go after four seasons at his alma mater. Then the team, coaching and support staff and other stakeholders were notified. In an early-morning statement, Coyle thanked Johnson for his dedication and leadership.
Coyle, a member of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, was also in Indiana for meetings on Wednesday, but not the same area as the Big Ten tournament in downtown Indianapolis, making logistics difficult to share the decision with Johnson soon after the team lost in the afternoon, a source said.
One source emphasized how Coyle wanted to do it swiftly and as respectfully as possible under the tough circumstances.
After flying separately to Minnesota to share the news with Johnson, Coyle made an early morning flight back to Indiana on Thursday as his role in the NCAA process ramps up through Selection Sunday.
The plan is for Coyle to speak with reporters midday Friday, the U said in its news release. Coyle’s statement said the U will “immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men’s basketball coach.”
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The speed of the news comes less than a day after ESPN reported Johnson was “likely” to receive a fifth season at Minnesota. And it dropped a week after college basketball reporter Seth Davis wrote how difficult he viewed the coaching job at the U.
Johnson, a Minneapolis native, was 56-71 overall at Minnesota, including 22-57 in Big Ten play since 2021-22. The U went 9-11 in Big Ten games last season before slipping to 7-13 in conference play this season.
The U was picked in preseason to finish 18th in the newly expanded Big Ten. After an 0-6 start to conference play, the U went 7-7 down the stretch to finish 12th in the standings.
