Mark Coyle in response to is Gophers Men's basketball HC Ben Johnson's job safe (Video)

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Coyle is a snake 🐍.

He said nothing, in that response, except that he makes the decisions.

Since Lindsay Whalen got 5 years to prove herself, I would be surprised if Ben Johnson gets fired after year two.

But...the snake removed Claeys so he could do anything.
 


MennoSota said:
Coyle is a snake 🐍.

He said nothing, in that response, except that he makes the decisions.

Since Lindsay Whalen got 5 years to prove herself, I would be surprised if Ben Johnson gets fired after year two.

But...the snake removed Claeys so he could do anything.
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The snake was right to remove Claeys and he'd be right to remove Ben after this season. The U has needed a snake who wants to win for a long time. 🐍🐍🐍
 

MennoSota said:
Coyle is a snake 🐍.

He said nothing, in that response, except that he makes the decisions.

Since Lindsay Whalen got 5 years to prove herself, I would be surprised if Ben Johnson gets fired after year two.

But...the snake removed Claeys so he could do anything.
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Honest question for you or anyone still hung up on Claeys.....do you really not understand that whole situation? Claeys was never a long term solution he was a stop gap for one year.

Ben will get year 3, beyond that will almost certainly depend on how things are going on and off the court.
 


That's a terrible response by Coyle- unless he plans on firing Ben. I think that would be a mistake at this moment. I think Ben and his younger players need another year. If he plans on keeping Ben, he should have said great things about Ben and that he is making progress despite a tough year. An ADs job should be to be all in with a coach until the moment he fires him.

Does anyone know what the "5 pillars" are at the U?
 


I think he was trying to reassure fans that he hasn't foresaken the men's program and that the lofty goals he's talked about in the past are still the goals. He knows of the griping among fans, he sees the empty seats, and he knows he hasn't been very visible or vocal, leaving the fans to wonder what's going on and why does it seem like the worst back-to-back seasons in program history don't seem to bother anyone at the U?

In doing so, he does sort of leave the coach out to dry. Coyle isn't a very refined or articulate person, so who knows whether that's what he was trying to do.
 
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MNVCGUY said:
Honest question for you or anyone still hung up on Claeys.....do you really not understand that whole situation? Claeys was never a long term solution he was a stop gap for one year.

Ben will get year 3, beyond that will almost certainly depend on how things are going on and off the court.
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Regarding Claeys, I didn't really have an issue with him being let go but I can still recognize that Coyle acted like an asp in how it was handled.

Not to over promote Doogie, but this was from last August. I side with Claeys' point of view on the matter, with being aware that Coyle was backchanneling for several weeks.

kstp.com

Q&A: Former Gophers coach Tracy Claeys on Jerry Kill's return Thursday, P.J. Fleck, and more

Former Gophers football head coach and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys spoke with KSTP’s Darren ‘Doogie’ Wolfson. The main talking point was Jerry Kill’s return to Minnesota Thursday night when his New Mexico State Aggies take on the Gophers. Claeys and Kills are close friends, having come...
kstp.com kstp.com
 
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MNVCGUY said:
Honest question for you or anyone still hung up on Claeys.....do you really not understand that whole situation? Claeys was never a long term solution he was a stop gap for one year.

Ben will get year 3, beyond that will almost certainly depend on how things are going on and off the court.
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Did Coyle know that Fleck was available before Claeys was fired?

If that's the case, I think a similar thing should be on the table, he should pull the trigger if he has another rising star basketball coach already committed to take over for CBJ. Unfortunately, I don't one of those on the horizon.
 





Mikie S said:
Did Coyle know that Fleck was available before Claeys was fired?
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I’m sure he did.

There was a 6 page article about Fleck in SI in the middle of the season that did nothing hid his ambitions to coach at a P5 school- I was instantaneously smitten 😍
Mikie S said:
If that's the case, I think a similar thing should be on the table, he should pull the trigger if he has another rising star basketball coach already committed to take over for CBJ. Unfortunately, I don't one of those on the horizon.
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SanDiegoGopherFan said:
Wow, that’s not a response you want at end of year 2. If you’re the coach.
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Yeah, not a ringing endorsement for Ben. That response sounds like something Coyle would have said about Claeys at the end of his season. Coyle's response edited below for Claeys:

"Obviously, [Tracy’s] in year 1 and it’s my job as the athletic director to evaluate all [22] programs. And again, when we look at those programs, we look at those 5 pillars if you will, and [Tracy] is aware of those 5 pillars and again, it’s my job, back to Chip’s question, how do we get our [football program] to compete at a high level."
 


MNVCGUY said:
Honest question for you or anyone still hung up on Claeys.....do you really not understand that whole situation? Claeys was never a long term solution he was a stop gap for one year.

Ben will get year 3, beyond that will almost certainly depend on how things are going on and off the court.
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I'm not hung up on Claeys. It was how Coyle handled it that was in poor fashion in my opinion. I am a huge PJ fan and was even hoping we would hire him during Claeys' season.

With how Coyle handled that, his lack of fundraising, and 2 botched basketball hires I'm not sure why everyone thinks he's so great. I'd say he's "ok" at best.
 
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bga1 said:
That's a terrible response by Coyle- unless he plans on firing Ben. I think that would be a mistake at this moment. I think Ben and his younger players need another year. If he plans on keeping Ben, he should have said great things about Ben and that he is making progress despite a tough year. An ADs job should be to be all in with a coach until the moment he fires him.

Does anyone know what the "5 pillars" are at the U?
Click to expand...

I agree with bga1, awful response by Coyle. Coyle had to know this question was coming. And he has to have already made up his mind, so he's either firing Johnson next week or he's letting him come back for Year 3. Assuming the latter, Coyle should have said "listen, the results aren't where I or Coach Johnson expect them. But I believe in Ben. I see how this freshman class is developing, I see how well he's recruiting, I know how much his players love playing for him and I know we will fill The Barn back up, the wins will come and the energy will return."

Instead, Coyle did what Coyle does.

Go Gophers!!
 


Coyle's job is not to give you an answer that you want to hear. If he plans on ditching Ben i'd much rather have that response than "Ben's doing a great job, we believe in him" and fire him a week later. Seriously, such a strange thing to get upset about.
 

GoldenUMNGopher said:
Coyle's job is not to give you an answer that you want to hear. If he plans on ditching Ben i'd much rather have that response than "Ben's doing a great job, we believe in him" and fire him a week later. Seriously, such a strange thing to get upset about.
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Correct. If he's firing him next week, his answer was perfect. If Ben is coming back for next year, his answer was awful. That's what everyone is saying.

Go Gophers!!
 


BleedGopher said:
Correct. If he's firing him next week, his answer was perfect. If Ben is coming back for next year, his answer was awful. That's what everyone is saying.

Go Gophers!!
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Maybe we wait til he makes a decision to hammer the guy as a terrible speaker.
 

BleedGopher said:
I agree with bga1, awful response by Coyle. Coyle had to know this question was coming. And he has to have already made up his mind, so he's either firing Johnson next week or he's letting him come back for Year 3. Assuming the latter, Coyle should have said "listen, the results aren't where I or Coach Johnson expect them. But I believe in Ben. I see how this freshman class is developing, I see how well he's recruiting, I know how much his players love playing for him and I know we will fill The Barn back up, the wins will come and the energy will return."

Instead, Coyle did what Coyle does.

Go Gophers!!
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Haha, can we just pretend that THAT was his response? You're very good with words, Bleed.
 


I didn't listen to Coyle but he's certainly going to put his own job ahead of Johnson's. If getting rid of Johnson will save himself he'd likely, as would most, do it in a heartbeat. That's just the way it is.
 

I heard nothing negative in his response. A great win last night. But, it doesn't negate the historically bad 2 seasons of Ben ball so far. I certainly do not want to see another extension for Ben. Not until he shows us something. His after season portal grabs will be telling along with who leaves via portal. Sunday's game along with our performance in the BIG tourney will be of some importance. I would be shocked-no, surprised if Ben is gone after this season. I'm guessing bar pretty low for next season. 5-6 min BIG victories next year or he's gone. Also cannot have big blowouts next season. Not all 5-15 conference records are the same. If our 15 BIG losses next year are all decent efforts and 10 point or less point dif then he will get some credit.
 

Blizzard said:
I didn't listen to Coyle but he's certainly going to put his own job ahead of Johnson's. If getting rid of Johnson will save himself he'd likely, as would most, do it in a heartbeat. That's just the way it is.
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Well, thanks for the life advice but I doubt there is anyone in higher administration right now who would say to Coyle "If you know what's good for you, fire Ben Johnson!"
 

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