Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle has options to explore, including some Minnesota natives, in the search to replace Johnson.

Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson was relieved of his duties in an unexpected move on Thursday morning. Johnson, a former Gophers player and Minneapolis native, took over the reins at the club in 2021.

Johnson, 44, coached the Gophers for four years with one trip to the NIT and one winning season. This year, Minnesota finished 15-17 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play but won five games on the road. Johnson was 56-71 in four seasons and 22-57 in league competition. He was 1-4 in the Big Ten tournament.