Minnesota fired coach Ben Johnson on Thursday after four years of repeatedly rebuilding rosters at his alma mater without coming close to an NCAA Tournament appearance, which has become a fleeting accomplishment for a program that has fallen behind in the rugged and expanded Big Ten.

Johnson, 44, coached the Gophers for four years with one trip to the NIT and one winning season. This year, Minnesota finished 15-17 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play but won five games on the road. Johnson was 56-71 in four seasons and 22-57 in league competition. He was 1-4 in the Big Ten tournament.

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"I met with Ben in-person early this morning when the team returned to Minneapolis from the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament and informed him that we were making a change in le

The University of Minnesota fired men's basketball coach Ben Johnson, athletic director Mark Coyle announced Thursday.

Head coach Ben Johnson of the Minnesota Golden Gophers reacts ... [+] against the Michigan State Spartans in the first half in the Second Round