Mar 13, 2025, 06:53 AM ET

Minnesota fired men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson on Thursday after the Golden Gophers’ season-ending loss in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

Johnson had served as Minnesota coach since 2021-22 but was unable to return the Gophers to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.

They finished 15-17 after losing 72-64 to Northwestern on Wednesday. Minnesota dropped five of its final six games.

“The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years,” Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle said in a statement. “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.”

Johnson departs with an overall record of 56-71, going 22-57 in the Big Ten.

He was in his first head coaching opportunity, returning to Minnesota after serving as an assistant there from 2013 to 2018. He also played two seasons for the Gophers, averaging around nine points per game, before starting his coaching career.