Ben Johnson

Benjamin Johnson (born December 23, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball for the Northwestern Wildcats and Golden Gophers before becoming an assistant coach for several major college programs. From 2021–2025, he served as the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Playing career Johnson led DeLaSalle High School to two Minnesota state championships and was a two-time first-team all state selection in basketball.

Minnesota (assistant)

In 2013, Johnson returned to his alma mater to become an assistant under then-head coach Richard Pitino. At Minnesota, Johnson continued his previous success as a standout recruiter and player developer. With his strong recruiting efforts and local ties to the area, Johnson was able to recruit Minnesota Prep standouts Amir Coffey, Daniel Oturu, and Gabe Kalscheur to stay home and play for the Gophers. Johnson was also a key factor in the recruitment and development of Jordan Murphy who broke many Gopher records during his career. During his time as an assistant at Xavier, the team went a combined 51–37.

Minnesota

On March 22, 2021, Johnson was announced as the new head basketball coach for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Johnson was the 18th head coach in the program's history. On March 13, 2025, he was fired following the team's loss in the Big Ten Tournament.

Head coaching record