Let’s have no illusions. This program has never consistently won. We know the unfortunate history of the departure of 3 coaches who did win.
List of Minnesotan Men’s basketball coaches Won/lost records:
www.sports-reference.com
Thanks for posting. Ben has the worst record, by percentage, of any non interim coach in the history of U of M basketball. Ouch. Let's hope he can correct that.Let’s have no illusions. This program has never consistently won. We know the unfortunate history of the departure of 3 coaches who did win.
List of Minnesotan Men’s basketball coaches Won/lost records:
www.sports-reference.com
"This is a new era of transfer portal and NIL. It takes time to build a team."Yes. Agreed. The last two years were painful. We all want better. So far, barring significant injuries, this year is likely to be better. Quite a bit has been written on this forum about the last two years and I'm not going to rehash it again.
Let's get some perspective on the records of the other coaches:
--In Jim Dutcher's 1st season *75-76), Musselman left him this starting lineup: Mychal Thompson, Ray Williams, Osborne Lockhart, Flip Saunders, and Dave Winey. Keep in mind that there was no transfer portal. Everyone stayed. He finished 6 of the then 10 teams in the Big Ten.
When Dutcher was fired, he also left the team loaded, and Clem Haskins started his first season with: Willie Burton, Richard Coffey, Jim Shikanjansky, Connell Lewis, ,and Tim Hanson. First season? 9th of the then 10 teams in the Big Ten.
Clem left Dan Monson with a less notable roster, but he did have h.s. All American Joel Przbilla for most of the season and fan favorites Dusty Rychart and J.B. Bickerstaff on the team Coach Monson finished last in the Big Ten his first season (99-00), and also in 03/04 and 05/06. He was 9th in 06/07. (Yes, I was a season ticket holder through all of that and the above*noted seasons.)
Additionally, Tubby Smith (in his six seasons), finished 8th once, and 9th twice.
As you all know, the B1G expanded to 12 teams in 2010 and 14 in 2014.. Pitinio's first season was 2013/14 He inherited a team that included Andre and Austin Hollins and Joey King. They finished 7th in the newly expanded league. The nest year 10th, then 13th. 11th in 17/18, 12th in 19/20, and finally 13th in 20/21.
So what is the point of all of this? Some of the previous new coaches were left with loaded teams. This is a new era of transfer portal and NIL. It takes time to build a team. Most people who follow college hoops say that it takes at least three years, but probably more. top build a program. Look at how long it has taken Rutgers and Northwestern (since hiring Chris Collins, and now he is doing iot with players he recruited who have stayed for four years)). Has Ben Johnson made mistakes as a new coach? Of course. No one is perfect and everyone is going to make mistakes as a new coach. But, he has also had some bad luck.
To compare his early seasons to the seasons of some of these other coaches of a bygone era is a false equivalency. There are two many things that seperate the experiences. I posted the record of the basketball program over the years, not so people could take more shots at the record of the last two years (there is no surprise in that, but because this program has historically struggled and has seen only brief glimpses of glory. Believe me, I have been there for those, and also throughout all of the struggles. Happy Holidays to all. Go Gophers!
2020-21 Minnesota Golden Gophers Men 's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
Check out the detailed 2020-21 Minnesota Golden Gophers Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
If only this were true….. If it was true, you would see teams both nationally and in the B1G leapfrogging ahead, which has not happened, with very few national notable exceptiona. You need to load up NIL $$ which we have not been able to do because it generally takes a winning program first to do that, and for the most part big time recruits are attracted to programs that are already winning and/or have big name coaches. We weren’t going to draw a big name coach here.
Your new member status is clear. Several examples of coaches in the past 3 seasons have been provided demonstrating dramatic 1st/2nd year turnarounds from other threads. Excuses don't sell tickets, winning big games does. NIL is just another excuse.
If only this were true….. If it was true, you would see teams both nationally and in the B1G leapfrogging ahead, which has not happened, with very few national notable exceptiona. You need to load up NIL $$ which we have not been able to do because it generally takes a winning program first to do that, and for the most part big time recripuits are attracted to programs that are already winning and/or have big name coaches. We weren’t going to draw a big name coach here.
New member doesn’t mean I don’t know the game or the program, but I am not part of the hate CBJ cult. Wasn’t aware that you expected to be anti- Coach Johnson to be on the forum (or be welcomed here).Thanks for the welcome.
Thanks for the correction, resigned in the midst of scandal, likely avoiding being fired.
"We weren’t going to draw a big name coach here."
The team that Clem started with was beyond awful. Coffey was picked up by Clem not left by Dutcher. Connell Lewis was not good at all and Tim Hanson was a so so player who could shoot it.
Sagan!
And the "loaded Pitino team" did have the "Hollins Bros" but nobody else left averaged more than 3 ppg for Tubby. Joey King was not inherited...he was a summer Pitino recruit who won the NCAA random eligibility sweepstakes.
