Another major-conference men’s basketball program is searching for a head coach, as Minnesota fired Ben Johnson last Thursday morning. Johnson spent four seasons with the Golden Gophers, posting a 56-71 record at his alma mater, including a 15-17 record this season. Minnesota only finished above the .500 mark once during his tenure, going 19-15 last year to make an NIT appearance. The school has now failed to make the national tournament six years in a row and will begin a Minnesota basketball coaching search.
The next Minnesota men’s basketball coach will be tasked with turning the program around and returning the team to national prominence. If you love the Golden Gophers, or just want to know who will be calling the shots for Minnesota in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of experts are saying at Gopher Illustrated, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Minnesota.
Gopher Illustrated’s Minnesota experts are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Johnson’s firing and the future of the Minnesota basketball program, including insights from Ryan James and Ryan Burns, both of whom have deep-rooted ties inside the Minnesota program. Get all the inside scoop on the basketball program, plus and VIP intel on Minnesota football, recruiting and more, as well as access to the Gopher Illustrated VIPs forums, where you can connect with other Minnesota fans and insiders.
And right now, Gopher Illustrated is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Gopher Illustrated already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to Gopher Illustrated now to see them all.
Top Minnesota basketball coach candidates
One name the staff has identified as a potential target on the Minnesota basketball coaching hot board is Loyola Chicago head coach Drew Valentine. The 33-year-old played college basketball at Oakland from 2009-13, finishing his playing career second in games played with the program. Valentine joined Michigan State as a graduate manager following his playing career, where his brother Denzel was a player.
He joined Loyola Chicago as an assistant in 2017 before being promoted to head coach in 2021 following the departure of Porter Moser. Valentine was the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I men’s basketball at the time of his hiring, and his age could be a positive factor for Minnesota’s program. He has gone 63-39 at Loyola Chicago and has won at least 21 games in three of his four years, so he has been a winner across a small sample size. See more candidates at Gopher Illustrated.
How to get insider Minnesota coaching staff search updates
The rest of the list includes several other exciting possibilities, including a surprising name “who has surged to the front line as the lead candidate,” according to James. You can only see who it is at Gopher Illustrated.
Who are the top names in the Minnesota basketball coaching search, and who could the Golden Gophers be zeroing in on? Go to Gopher Illustrated to see their Minnesota coaching hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Golden Gophers, and find out.
And reminder, Gopher Illustrated is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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