The Gophers fired men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson early Thursday morning, following his third losing Big Ten season in four years, a decision which will cost the University of Minnesota a $2.93 million buyout of his contract.

The Gophers finished 15-17 and ended their season with a 72-64 loss to Northwestern in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle met with Johnson after the basketball team returned to Minnesota from Indianapolis around midnight Thursday.

“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 leadership,” Coyle said in a statement. “I thanked him for his dedication and for guiding the program, one he cares deeply about, for the last four years. Ben is a terrific person, and we wish him well.”

Johnson, 44, a former Gophers player and assistant coach, was paid an annual salary of $1.95 million with two years left on his contract through 2026-2027. He was the lowest paid head coach in the Big Ten this season.

Johnson’s record was 56-71 overall and 22-57 in Big Ten play in four seasons, which included finishing in lower half in the conference three times. The Gophers were 7-13 in the Big Ten this season, but they finished 12th out of 18 teams.

Johnson’s best record was 19-15 in his third season to finish ninth in the Big Ten and reach the NIT second round in 2023-24. The Gophers went 9-22 the previous season.

“These decisions are difficult and are made after careful consideration and evaluation,” Coyle said. “The expectation for our program is to compete for championships, and unfortunately, we have not done that in the last four years.