Ben Johnson's return to the Gophers immediately addresses one problem while he prepares to tackle another.
Ben Johnson is Mark Coyle's latest attempt at drawing from Gophers' past to build for future
Hiring Ben Johnson can work, but it's just the first step for the U.
March 23, 2021 at 4:25AM
Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle, before Monday, ran a department without a single person of color in a top decisionmaking role, unacceptable in these times and remarkable for a Power Five conference school. Johnson, a Black man, coming home allows Coyle to take that humongous "0" off the U's scoreboard.
Coyle announced his search would include "a very diverse pool" of candidates, and his deeds matched his words. Quality candidates come from all sorts of backgrounds, and Johnson gets to prove himself for a school he played for from 2003 to '05 and then was an assistant coach for from 2013 to '18 under Richard Pitino, whom he's replacing.
Johnson's challenge, however, is no different from that of his predecessors, whether they were Clem Haskins or Tubby Smith, Pitino or Dan Monson — to make Gophers basketball relevant again.
The fact that Coyle is reaching for a young assistant coach with local ties and not an impact name is a reflection of the state of Gophers men's hoops. Minnesota is not a destination program that is going to be flooded with applicants with extensive résumés. The Gophers went to the NCAA tournament twice in eight seasons under Pitino, a drop from three trips in six seasons under Smith.
The other possibility is worse: that the athletic department is cash-strapped after dealing with the economic fallout brought on by the pandemic and went for a hire — a promising one with local connections, no doubt — who wouldn't demand a big-timer's salary.
It's a lot to ask of a young, new head coach: Cut your teeth in a premier conference like the Big Ten.
Coyle is looking locally for a revival. Coyle worked for the Gophers as an administrator from 2001 to '05 before gaining experience at three other universities and then returning as U AD in 2016. Since then he has hired Bob Motzko, a former Gophers assistant, to lead the men's hockey program. He has hired Lindsay Whalen, a former Gophers star, to lead women's basketball. Coyle apparently sees value in hiring coaches with ties to the school. Johnson, 40, now returns to campus, and he won't be too expensive to land.
Johnson had been an assistant at Texas-Pan American, Northern Iowa, Nebraska and the Gophers before joining Xavier. He started his coaching career in 2006, so he has spent 15 seasons as a Division I assistant, gaining experience at different programs.
He can't get around his lack of experience — and it could be an issue. But successful coaches come from a variety of backgrounds. Wisconsin's Greg Gard was never a head coach when he replaced Bo Ryan. Fred Hoiberg was an executive with the Wolves when he left for hometown Iowa State. Juwan Howard was a longtime assistant for the Miami Heat before surprisingly being named head coach at Michigan and producing immediately.
Johnson doesn't have NBA connections and hasn't been a longtime assistant under an established coach. But he still has 15 seasons under his belt and has impressed many during his journey.
Coyle's work isn't done here, as discussions with Johnson about his coaching staff must be extensive and fruitful. Johnson's local ties should help him with in-state talent, but he will need a staff that, in addition to the coaching duties, must have recruiting connections somewhere.
Look at how Illinois turned around its program in recent seasons. Illini assistant coach Orlando Antigua's recruits include Karl-Anthony Towns to Kentucky when he worked for John Calipari and Kofi Cockburn to Illinois under Brad Underwood — and other talented players between them.
I'm more interested in an assistant's recruiting network than bringing an old sage on board to provide wisdom to the young Johnson.
And don't go cheap on the assistant coaches, Mr. AD. It's part of the support package.
A program that sustains success needs a pipeline that doesn't run dry. There were recruiting misses with area prospects here that, fair or unfair, will be part of Pitino's legacy. Would Jalen Suggs have committed to the Gophers if they had recruited him earlier and harder? We will never know.
But it is time for another approach. Coyle has decided to go with Big Ten Ben. The up-and-comer. The hometown guy. Maybe a little local flavoring is what this program needs right now.
lneal@startribune.com. Twitter: @LaVelleNeal
He improved to 86-2 in his college career in his first action for the Gophers since March 2022.
