My Message to Mark Coyle: It's Time to Move on From Ben Johnson as Minnesota Head Basketball Coach

Ben Johnson, Minnesota

Nearly four years ago to this exact date, Minnesota and head basketball coach Richard Pitino officially parted ways after he served nearly a decade in charge in the Twin Cities. It was clear the program needed a breath of fresh air, and Pitino's final season was the perfect encapsulation of so much of his tenure - full of promise, but ultimately a massive disappointment. Who was the coach athletic director Mark Coyle would tap as his replacement? Names with Minnesota ties like Brian Dutcher, Niko Medved, Craig Smith were all thrown out. But in the end, Coyle ended up throwing a bit of a curveball, hiring first-time head coach Ben Johnson, who was an assistant with Xavier at the time. A former Gopher who played at local Minnesota powerhouse De La Salle High School, it could have been the perfect Hollywood story of the prodigal son returning home and returning a dormant program to glory. 

Four years later, it feels like little has changed. The Gophers have not returned to the NCAA Tournament. They've been a perpetual punching bag in a Big Ten that has only gotten more competitive with the additions of four former Pac-12 schools. And ultimately, the program just feels lifeless. Williams Arena, affectionately nicknamed "The Barn", has never felt quieter. As the program looks to another offseason of roster turnover, it's clear what needs to be done. Perhaps Coyle will be hesitant to move on from Johnson, essentially an admission that the hire failed. But, things simply cannot go on like this - it's time for tough decisions to be made. 

I don't even want this to come off as me completely ripping apart Ben Johnson, even if it will appear that way. From everything we've seen and heard, he's been an excellent steward for the program off-the-court. He clearly has love for the university and the program, and by all accounts seems like a genuinely good guy. There have not been the off-the-court issues that have plagued past Gopher coaches, namely Pitino and Clem Haskins. And to be fair to Johnson, he's a first-time head coach at a tough job in one of the most competitive conferences in America. He was always going up against the odds here, and it didn't help that he inherited quite a mess from Pitino. Much like Pitino, it would not shock me if he is able to land elsewhere and have success. He is just 44 years of age after all, and has held several assistant coach positions at power conference programs - I have little doubt he can catch on somewhere if the Gophers do indeed move on. All that can be true, but that doesn't mean that he deserves a fifth season at the helm. 

Any analysis of Johnson and the Gophers basketball program more broadly also has to take into account that the program has its limitations. It's tough to convince out-of-state kids to want to come to Minnesota to play basketball in the harsh winter. And for in-state kids, most recruits nowadays haven't seen a time when the Gophers were competing for Big Ten Titles. The Barn itself doesn't have the same allure to many recruits it may to many Gopher fans, who have come to adore the unique charm of the older building and the raised court. The value the Gophers put on hockey also means that Gopher basketball fans are not just competing for eyeballs against several other pro teams, but another popular sport during the winter months. Perhaps most important in this current day, it's been no secret Minnesota's NIL fund, "Dinkytown Athletes" was slow out of the gate and simply is not at the level of many of the other Big Ten powers. All of these factors contribute to making this one of the more difficult jobs in power conference college basketball. However, with all that being said, I find the argument that just because this is a difficult job, Gopher basketball fans should accept mediocrity not very compelling. Especially when you consider other programs in the Big Ten that are at, or should be at, a similar level of the Gophers. Illinois went out and snagged Brad Underwood away from another power conference school and after a pair of rough seasons, has been a consistent Big Ten Title contender. Rutgers has been a regular NCAA Tournament participant under Steve Pikiell. Northwestern has now been to the NCAA Tournament multiple times under Chris Collins. Even Penn State, a football school through and through, has played in a more recent NCAA Tournament than the Gophers. Sure, this is a job with limitations, and it's not exactly an easy place to win. But, there's no reason to just accept that's how it's going to be forever. The Minnesota high school basketball scene is as strong as ever, the Gopher NIL fund is picking up, and few places are quite as electric as The Barn when you actually give fans a reason to come. It just needs the right coach to bring it all together.

The reality is that next season is almost sure to be yet another "rebuilding" season for Gopher basketball. Dawson Garcia will have officially exhausted his eligibility after an impressive three season run back in his home state, and he's far from the only Gopher moving on. Parker Fox will finally see his long-running collegiate career come to an end, as will other key contributors like Femi Odukale, Brennan Rigsby, and Mike Mitchell Jr. Even amongst the youngsters, it wouldn't be shocking if another programs swoops in and is able to offer an attractive enough NIL offer to reel them away. Guard Isaac Asuma, one of the most consistent bright spots on this roster, is almost sure to receive significant interest elsewhere. In short, it will be another offseason of Johnson and staff fighting to scrape together a roster through the portal. What confidence level do we have that they'll be able to finally strike magic in Year Five? If they couldn't get it done with the likes of Garcia, Pharrel Payne, Elijah Hawkins, Mitchell, and Cam Christie, is another mishmash of transfer portal pieces going to turn the tide for the program? It's just another reason for Coyle to make the move now, and bring in a new coach who can begin to build a roster that can eventually, maybe, compete for a Big Ten Title. 2025-26 already feels lost, but at least a new head coach would bring some energy and sense of optimism into a program that has felt stuck in the mud for too long. 

At the time of writing this, the Gophers are gearing up for their first Big Ten Tournament game against Northwestern. Perhaps they'll be able to scrounge together a victory against an injury-plagued Wildcats team. And, that may just be enough to earn Minnesota entry into "The Crown", the new tournament FOX Sports has built to compete with the NIT. That shouldn't matter. As much as I wanted Johnson to succeed, we gave him a fair shot and the experiment has failed. It's time to go in a fresh direction with the basketball program. Perhaps with the right hire, Gopher fans can finally feel a sense of optimism as they look towards another likely long offseason, with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, brighter days are ahead in the Twin Cities.