MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota fired coach Ben Johnson on Thursday after four years of repeatedly rebuilding rosters at his alma mater without coming close to an NCAA Tournament appearance, a fleeting accomplishment for a program that has fallen behind in the rugged and expanded Big Ten.

Johnson had two seasons remaining on his contract, which calls for a $2.92 million buyout. His annual salary was $1.95 million, the lowest in the 18-team league.

The Gophers finished 15-17 after losing to Northwestern on Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament. Athletic director Mark Coyle announced his decision early Thursday after a late-night meeting with Johnson upon the team’s return from Indianapolis.

“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,” Coyle said in a statement distributed by the university. “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.”

Minnesota went 56-71 under Johnson, including 22-57 in league play. The only team worse during that span was Washington, which just completed its first season as one of the Big Ten’s four West Coast additions.

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