Minnesota Golden Gophers fire head coach Ben Johnson; Here’s what led to his exit
Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson, despite two more seasons remaining on his contract.
This comes after four years of Johnson rebuilding rosters on a repeated basis at his alma mater as the side failed to even come close to an NCAA Tournament appearance, The Associated Press reported.
Why does Ben Johnson’s exit matter?
Johnson's exit from Minnesota comes early as he still had two seasons remaining with the side, as per his contract that calls for a $2.92 million buyout.
He was being paid $1.95 million on an annual basis — the lowest compared to the other 17 teams in the Big Ten Conference.
The decision was announced by Athletic director Mark Coyle on Thursday, while the university shared the update on its official website and on social media in the wee hours of the day.
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This happened after a late-night meeting was held with Johnson after the team came back from Indianapolis.
Minnesota ended its run at 15-17 after its 72-64 loss to Northwestern on Wednesday's game during the first round of the Big Ten Men's basketball tournament.
A statement on the official website states that a «nationwide search will start immediately» for the next head coach of the side that dropped five of its final six games this season.
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Decoding Ben Johnson's exit
In the statement, Mark Coyle said that he held an in-person meeting with Johnson after the team returned to Minneapolis to inform him that they have decided to make a «change in leadership.»
Calling Johnson a «terrific person,» Coyle thanked him for his dedication and guiding the program over the past four years. He went on to say