Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson made progress last season, but key players entering the transfer portal set him and his team back. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Another Big Ten basketball job is open. Minnesota fired Ben Johnson after four seasons, Director of Athletics Mark Coyle announced Thursday morning. The Gophers (15-17) had their season end on Wednesday when they lost to Northwestern in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament.

The University of Minnesota fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson, athletic director Mark Coyle announced Thursday.

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.

The Gophers finished 15-17 after losing to Northwestern on Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament.

The University of Minnesota is parting ways with Gopher men's basketball head coach Ben Johnson after a disappointing exit at the men's Big 10 Basketball Tournament.

Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle released a statement on Thursday detailing his decision to move on from Ben Johnson. “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,

University of Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle announced early Thursday morning Ben Johnson has been fired after four seasons as head coach of the Gophers men's basketball team. The announcement just after 1:00 a.

Any successful major college athletic program resembles a complex puzzle that has been assembled. The pieces fit. Not just players and coaches but all facets of the operation. The Gophers men’s basketball program currently looks like a puzzle box that has been opened,