Minnesota fired men’s basketball 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 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 conference.
The Gophers finished 15-17 after losing 72-64 to Northwestern on Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. Minnesota dropped five of its final six games.
