Gophers men's basketball coach Ben Johnson has been fired after four seasons and a 15-17 record this past season.
The Gophers made the announcement in a press release just after 1 a.m. Thursday following a conversation between University of Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle and Johnson when the team returned from the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis where the Gophers lost to Northwestern 72-64.
In a statement, Coyle wrote:
"I met with Ben in-person early this morning when the team returned to Minneapolis from the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament and informed him that we were making a change in leadership. I thanked him for his dedication and for guiding the program, one he cares deeply about, for the last four years. Ben is a terrific person, and we wish him well. These decisions are difficult and are made after careful consideration and evaluation. The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years."
A post on the Gopher Athletics website says a nationwide search will start immediately for Minnesota's next head coach.
"This is an extremely desirable job in one of the best conferences and cities in the nation, and we fully expect to compete at the highest level on and off the court," added Coyle. "We provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes, have one of the best practice facilities in the nation and play games in a historic venue. We offer everything that is needed to be successful, and we will immediately begin a nationwide search for our next men's basketball coach."
Johnson's final record with the Gophers is 56-71 and 22-57 in Big Ten Play.
None of his teams made an NCAA Tournament appearance during his coaching tenure.
Johnson, a Minnesota native who led DeLaSalle High School to two Minnesota state championships, played two years at Northwestern before transferring and playing his final two seasons with the Gophers.
Johnson was hired by the Gophers in March 2021 as the 18th head coach in the program's history.