Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson made progress last season, but key players entering the transfer portal set him and his team back. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minnesota fired coach Ben Johnson early Thursday morning, in an announcement posted to social media at 2:19 a.m. ET, following the team's season-ending loss Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to Northwestern.

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Mark Coyle spoke to the media on Friday, which was the first time since firing Ben Johnson earlier this week. He had a lot to say, but the main takeaway is that Minnesota plans to move fast in its search for a new men's basketball head coach.