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Following the firing of men's basketball coach and Minneapolis native and Gopher alum Ben Johnson, Athletic Director Mark Coyle claims "we expect to play for championships" and that the Gopher men's basketball coaching job is "an extremely desirable job". These quotes come off as written by a political candidate or a P.T. Barnum disciple because they bear no resemblance to fact.
The Gophers have won four men's basketball championships in the last 106 years!
This job is only desirable if you need a seven-figure salary, have no interest in stability or winning, or have access to a billionaire who will not say no, because you certainly cannot win in the Big 38 or whatever our conference is called this year. You are dealt little NIL money, a terrible facility with a dangerous drop-off, a long tradition of high school basketball stars leaving the state for warmer and wealthier campuses, another long tradition of recruits transferring into the portal for warmer and wealthier campuses, long campus walks for long winter months with very few tunnels, and no tradition of winning.
Hockey, volleyball, wrestling, football, nonrevenue sports that Coyle has yet to eliminate, I understand the draw, but why would you go to Dinkytown in 2025 for less chance of winning and less money?
The U of M is an excellent University. You go there to practice law or medicine or veterinary medicine or engineering, or be an outstanding professor. You go to other places to practice in the National Basketball Association.
