Ben Johnson adds Marcus Jenkins to Gophers basketball coaching staff
Gophers MBB Coach Ben Johnson talks with FOX 9's Dawn Mitchell about his full-circle moment, returning to the University of Minnesota, but this time as head coach.
MINNEAPOLIS - Ben Johnson has been the University of Minnesota men’s basketball coach for a little more than a month, and he announced Tuesday the final member of his coaching staff for the 2021-22 season.
Johnson has added Marcus Jenkins, who comes to Minnesota from Richmond, where he started in 2015 and had been the associate head coach since June of 2018. Jenkins helped lead Richmond to a 14-9 mark in the 2020-21 season, when ended with a run to the NIT quarterfinals.
"I am excited to welcome Marcus Jenkins to our staff," said Johnson. "Marcus is a future head coach in our profession, and he will bring great character, work ethic and a high basketball IQ to our program. He has strong recruiting ties throughout the country and is a coach who cares deeply about developing our student-athletes as basketball players and as individuals."
Jenkins was also part of the Richmond staff in the 2019-20 season, where the program tied a school record with 24 wins. His coaching career includes time at Princeton from 2011-15, where the Tigers had four straight winning seasons.
Jenkins got his coaching start as the director of basketball operations at Richmond in 2007. The Spiders received an NCAA at-large bid in 2010, and got to the Sweet 16 in 2011.
Jenkins graduated from Air Force in 2004, leading the Falcons that year to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1962. He then served a three-year commitment at Malstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana, as a logistics officer.