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, which has become a fleeting accomplishment for a program that has fallen behind in the rugged and expanded Big Ten.

Ben Johnson tried to hold back his emotions after the Gophers basketball student section swarmed players following their upset win against Michigan this year. The Gophers' fourth-year coach finally picked up his first win over a ranked team and,

Ben Johnson was a Xavier Musketeers assistant for three seasons before Minnesota named him its head coach in March 2021.