If the local and national mainstream media — the self-appointed search committee — are sadly correct, the University of Minnesota Gophers’ next men’s basketball coach will not be Black.
Since former coach Ben Johnson’s dismissal was announced March 13, the PWM — primarily white media — have suggested only white candidates. Not one of the 16 current Black head coaches and 20 Black assistant coaches on the Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS) 2024-2025 Men’s Basketball Coaches Watchlist are mentioned.
(See more on the latest ABIS watchlist in this week’s MSR sports section.)
“The media here is interesting,” said Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle during our sit-down interview in his Athletes Village/Bierman Building office last Tuesday.
Admittedly, Johnson’s last game—a 72-64 defeat to Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament — was a bad one. But Coyle quickly pointed out that it was not the final straw that ultimately led to the former coach’s demise.
“Ben is a wonderful person. Not for a second do I doubt his work ethic, his commitment to doing things the right way, his commitment to his student-athletes, his commitment to the academic side in preparing the young men for the next four years. He hit all those barometers.
“But at this level, you got to win,” stressed the Gopher AD, who hired Johnson in 2021. “You got to win at a high level, and we weren’t having that success on a consistent basis that we were looking for.”
Except for a few instances — Bill Musselman, Clem Haskins, Tubby Smith and Richard Pitino — Minnesota men’s hoops haven’t been relevant outside of Dinkytown. Gopher basketball and relevance in most eyes around the country have not been synonymous for quite some time.
“For us to change the narrative in Minnesota basketball,” admitted Coyle, “we have to have consistency. And for some reason, we have not been able to figure it out.
“I don’t like to put up guidelines for my search because I think when you put up guidelines, you automatically eliminate people you can talk to,” explained Coyle in answer to our question whether diversity again will be considered in hiring the new U of M coach.
“We have vetted a diverse pool of candidates, and it’s our job to bring in the right person that will help Minnesota win on a consistent basis. So, we can find the right person who understands Minnesota, embraces Minnesota, and can help us have the success in men’s basketball.”
A quick Google search showed that the MSR since 2021 has published at least a dozen stories and columns on the importance of coaching diversity at the “U” and elsewhere. Our “Coaching While Black” recurring series has featured Yale’s James Jones and Daniyal Robinson of Cleveland State, among others.
Four years ago, there were five Black head coaches (two WBB and three MBB) in the Big Ten, including Johnson. All five are now history. Johnson, Indiana’s Mike Woodson, Rutgers’ Coquese Washington and Marisa Moseley, now the former Wisconsin WBB coach, were this season’s only Black coaches in the conference. Washington was hired in 2022.
It is very likely that when the 2025-26 men’s and women’s basketball season begins this fall, the Big Ten will have only one Black HC, the lowest number among the Power 4 conferences.
Unless it turns out otherwise, Minnesota has only one Black head coach (women’s tennis’ Lois Arterberry) in its athletics department. Johnson was the school’s fourth Black men’s coach, the only former Minnesota player and assistant coach ever hired.
We can only hope that Coyle doesn’t believe in one-and-done when hiring Black HCs and can successfully find someone like Johnson, who according to the AD “bleeds maroon and gold.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.