Boston Sports

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

CHESTNUT HILL – What would St. Ignatius do?

Saint Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish Basque-region Catholic priest and theologian, who, with six companions, founded the religious order of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. He became the order’s first Superior General, in Paris in 1541. Immediately afterward, Ignatius and his companions embarked on missions across Europe to create schools, colleges, and seminaries. The overarching Jesuit principle became: Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, translated from Latin to English, “For the greater glory of God.” Upon his death in 1556, a number of schools and college institutions were named after St. Ignatius of Loyola, one of them a parish on Long Island which included a grammar school by the same name, my alma mater.

When you’re a student of that school, and all Jesuit instituations, you learn all about the Jesuit ideals, as do students at Boston College, an incredible college in every aspect.

Since we relocated to Massachusetts, Boston College – only about three miles and four short T stops away – has been our adopted go-to place for ACC football, for ice hockey, for basketball, for Welles and For Boston. If there’s a “Force” that guides Boston College, aside from the teachings of St. Ignatius, it was a force disrupted this week.

Said BC Athletics Director Blake James, a highly respected administrator: “Over the last 60 hours I’ve had to have a lot more conversations about radio announcers than I ever imagined that I would, or I’ve ever had before in my career.”

The topic at hand was the fact Boston College decided to part (not renew an expired one-year contract) with its college basketball radio announcers, Kevin Collins and Josh Maurer, 13-year stalwarts who called games through thick and thin, including last season’s 4-14, or 16th place in the ACC.

Back in the spring, BC made headlines by hiring Luke Murray, assistant coach to Danny Hurley at UConn who was a part of a couple NCAA titles. Murray had intersected with Hurley back in 2010 when Hurley headed up Wagner (Staten Island, NY). Murray is getting his first big opportunity and will begin his stint at BC this season after a typical long road as an assistant coach.

• 2008–2009 Post (assistant)
• 2009–2010 Arizona (Grad assitant)
• 2010–2011 Wagner (assistant)
• 2011–2013 Towson (assistant)
• 2013–2015 Rhode Island (assistant)
• 2015–2018 Xavier (assistant)
• 2018–2021 Louisville (assistant)
• 2021–2026 UConn (assistant)
• 2026–present Boston College (head coach)

After Murray and Boston College won the proverbial introductory press conference and all was well in The Heights, things fell silent – as they always do – until BC Football concludes and the winter sports take center stage. At BC, that means men’s ice hockey as No. 1 and basketball as a distant No. 2 spectator sport.

But, as noted, there was a disturbance in the force this week, and it reverberated throughout the small, talk sports radio, gossip-driven sports and social media worlds of Greater Boston.

The main issue was Collins pouring his heart out in a tweet that noted his dream job and 13-year career as the radio announcer were cut down. In a story, first reported by the entertaining site, Awful Announcing and on X, Collins wrote:

<Easily the hardest tweet of my career. Love you @JoshMaurerPxP and sorry it had to end this way 💔 Huge thanks to Mike Winn, Josh Maurer, and Danya Abrams for supporting and empowering me over the last 13+ years.

I will always be an Eagle 🦅 #WeAreBC>

He went on:

According to reports in Awful Announcing, the broadcast crew had repeatedy asked about their status for new contracts. The feedback was a vague, “no change was coming,” an assurance that held from the end of March all the way until last week.

Word came down that their contracts would not be renewed, and – again – according to the report in Awful Announcing – the reasoning delivered to the pair, relayed through Deputy Athletic Director Craig Anderson, was that (Luke) Murray didn’t want anyone in the travel party who’d been part of what was described as the program’s “losing mentality” under the previous staff, despite neither broadcaster having any real relationship with the coaching staff itself beyond showing up to call games. When pressed on why the decision took months to reach them, given how long Murray had already been on the job, the answer was that the administration had only recently had the actual conversation with him about it.

“The reasoning that I was given was that Coach Murray basically wants a whole new fresh coat of paint on the entire program and wants no remnants of the past around the program,” Collins said. “We have nothing to do with any of that. But he wanted us removed. Didn’t feel comfortable being around a link to the past, if you will. My challenge was, well, how can he not feel comfortable around us? He hasn’t even given us the chance to meet us.”

The school, in PR control mode, went with two different philosophies – neither approved by St. Ignatius’ teachings.

“The decision to not renew the contracts of our men’s basketball radio announcers was made by Boston College Athletics administrators in consultation with our MMR (multi-media rights) partner. We wish both Kevin and Josh the best going forward.”

Terse to say the least, and it fueled a social media hailstorm.

A full day later, BC countered with another statement, but it was issued in a telephone call from James to Boston Globe reporter, Chad Finn:

“Luke did not make this decision, because he does not have the ability to make this decision,” said James in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon. “If someone wanted to say it was my decision, yes, at the end of the day I approved it, and I take full responsibility for that.”

Of course that was James’ job to take full responsibility and fall on the sword for Boston College, but the statements and timing of the statements and actions made no sense as they began to contradict each other.

More questions came up, after the fact:

1. If the two commentators were not going to have their jobs (via contracts being renewed), and the decision was made, why wouldn’t the school inform them in April so they’d have time to get a different job?
2. Where was Luke Murray during this debacle? Was he involved and, if so, made available for interviews? In other words, Murray should face the music.
3. For that matter, why weren’t the two announcers given the chance to meet Murray? And – in a face-to-face meeting – be given either a reason he wanted to cut ties or be given the chance to hear-out his philosophies and understand them going forward.
4. In the process of dismissing a 13-year BC vet, why the awkward method of telephone line to text to non-verbal, direct communication, as opposed to this mixed-message ugly scene?

“I thought that if anything like this ever popped up, where my employment was in trouble, that [me, Anderson, and Winn] could have an adult conversation over a coffee and a cold beverage and hash it out on whether it was going to go one way or the other,” said Collins as quoted from his phone conversation with the Globe.

Lastly, after the fact, there was considerable speculation that the reason for the (non renewal method of firing) was an ill-fated X/tweet way back on March 17th that expressed legitimate concerns about hiring a coach with no head coaching experience.

“I have 2 questions (wrote Collins): 1.) are you comfortable with hiring a head coach with 0 head coaching experience? It’s one thing to do this at a low major and entirely different in the ACC. 2.) Kids are paid now. Recruiting is dead. Would his father bring in serious NIL for Boston College?”

The paper of record, errr, The Athletic tried to piece it all together in a story by Joe Rexrode on August 5. That story criss-crossed with the Globe story and laid out pieces of a puzzle that will never fit together and further confused he issue – which admittedly is not life or death in the year 2026.

But, remember, there was no comment from either Luke, or his even a quip by his father, comedian and actor Bill Murray.

In conclusion, there’s a perfect quote from Luke’s famous father, Bill, via his wonderful appearance in the motion picture, STRIPES, and it answers the question at the root of the issue: “Are Collins and Maurer gone?”

“That’s the FACT, Jack.”

PS: In answer to the opening question of this column, St. Ignatius would get everybody involved in the same room and hash it out.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: LIV golf CEO Scott O’Neil emerged from a summit to announce that the upstart – once Saudi PIF based – entity will remain afloat after an investor stepped up to fund it against expected short term additional potential losses.

“LIV Golf has an agreement in place with a lead investor, signed by the investor and approved by the board, to anchor the transaction and play a key role in supporting the path forward for the league’s next era, driven by and for the players,” O’Neil said in a statement. “We’re also seeing strong interest from more than a dozen additional parties to potentially serve as minority investors, creating a multi-partner model built for long-term stability and growth.”

The minority investors expressed interest if there were a main, primary investor to assure solid ground in the year(s) to come.

The specific investors were not identified, nor the amount of money to be injected into the league. LIV Golf said it hopes to finalize terms in the coming weeks and close the transaction in September.

The Saudi-based PIF reportedly spent more than $5 billion funding the league over the past five seasons, according to multiple media outlets in the golf industry. That included signing some of the biggest and most succesful PGA Tour pros to contracts, complete with multi-million dollar signing bonuses.

The final weeks of the LIV Golf season were in doubt until O’Neal’s press conference prior to this week’s event at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: After three successful years in Singapore, the FIBA Intercontinental Cup is now starting a new chapter in its 60-year long history, with the event moving to Beijing, China for the first time. This year, the event will be played in September, according to a recent FIBA newsletter. The format remains the same in terms of the number of teams represented, with six teams split into two groups of three teams. The top two teams from each group will move to the Semi-Finals, with the winners facing off in the Championship Game on September 27.

TWO-WAY OR BACK-to-SCHOOL? Former St. John’s University wing, Dillon Mitchell was drafted by Boston back in June. Mitchell performed very well for the Celtics Summer League team and it was thought he’d be signed to a guaranteed NBA contract right away. Not so fast thought the Celtics, as their roster is stacked with versatile players, many in their first few years. That includes the Celtics’ 2026 first round pick, Chris Cenac Jr., a 6-11 stretch-five who can shoot it. Cenac hit 2.2 three-point FGs per game and shot 33% from behind the arc while at the University of Houston this past year. He’s a defensive force, protecting the rim, and is just what the Celtics needed going into the 2026-27 season. Yet, Cenac is only 19 years old and has room to mature and grow.

In Mitchell’s case, the rumors were flowing that 6-8 Mitchell might return to school as the latest ruling – for and against the NCAA – allowed players in Mitchell’s situation to gain a fifth year of college eligibility, even though he was the 40th overall pick in the draft by Boston and stood out in the NBA Summer League, averaging 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds with a slew of steals and blocks.

Nope. No more BIG EAST and playing under St. John’s coach Rick Pitino. Instead, Mitchell signed a two-way contract with the Celtics this week.

LUNCH? – Would you like to sit down for lunch with UCLA/NBA Legend and front office executive Kiki VanDeWeghe for a face-to-face conversation in New York City, shared with up to three guests? VanDeWeghe enjoyed a distinguished 13-year NBA career as a prolific scorer for the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers, earning two NBA All-Star selections along the way. After retiring, he transitioned seamlessly into the front office, serving as General Manager of the Nuggets and later as the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, making him one of the most well-rounded execs in the game on both sides of the hardwood. The offer from the auction lot via online auction house Charity Buzz offers a rare chance to connect personally with a man who has shaped professional basketball for decades. Whether you’re a lifelong fan, an aspiring basketball professional, or simply someone who appreciates this extraordinary access avenue, this lunch delivers an experience that goes well beyond the ordinary. It’s sure to be a candid, unhurried afternoon (two hours) with one of basketball’s most accomplished insider, the kind of access that simply isn’t available anywhere else. Site of restaurant was not named, but it is in NYC. … The auction expires in 11 days.

GRAND PRIX: If lunch with Kiki doesn’t do the job, how about an experience of a lifetime at the F-1 Grand Prix race in Abu Dhabi? Experience the excitement of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with an exclusive package for two, including a 4-night stay at a luxurious 5-star hotel. Located on Yas Leisure Drive, this experience places you at the heart of one of the most prestigious events on the Formula 1 calendar. On this auction, time is of essence as the clock is ticking down to deadline.

The brochure for Charity Buzz reads: “Enjoy four nights of luxury accommodations with daily breakfast included, providing the perfect base for an unforgettable Grand Prix weekend. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Formula 1 racing and take advantage of access to concerts and pit walks, available on a first-come, first-served basis. This Experience for two includes:

• 4-night stay at a 5-star hotel in Abu Dhabi
• Daily breakfast
• Access to the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• Access to concerts and pit walks
• Airfare is NOT included