Ben Johnson was hired earlier this week. Chris Finch took over a month ago. As head coaches of the Gophers men's basketball program and the Timberwolves, respectively, they are being tasked with major turnarounds. Both coaches joined the podcast on Wednesday to provide insights into how they want fix struggling teams.
For Johnson, it all starts with recruiting. That is his main known strength coming into the job, and the relationships he has already in Minnesota will help him. But he also talked strategy and how he wants his team to play. If you're frustrated that the Gophers take a lot of threes but don't make a lot of threes, Johnson promises to recruit more shooting to solve that problem.
Finch took over in a unique situation: coming in midseason after being an assistant in Toronto. This is his first NBA head coaching job, though he ran several teams overseas. He's high on the future of Anthony Edwards, but Finch also acknowledges that until Edwards learns some things and makes adjustments the Wolves are likely to struggle.