Luke Murray named next men's basketball coach
The roller coaster ride is over.
I, like many of you, went on the roller coaster that was the coaching search, reporting what I was hearing in real time and learning things on the fly. For those of you that understand how this works and weren’t total DBs on social media…thank you.
After I had reported Wednesday that Murray had been offered the job by BC, Jeff Goodman reported around 6:00 p.m. on Thursday that he was the next guy in Chestnut Hill. I was able to confirm (not that Goodman needs it, but hey, part of the job) a few minutes later.
“I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to lead the Boston College Men’s Basketball program,” Murray said in a statement. “BC is a university with a prestigious academic reputation and a storied basketball tradition. Boston College alumni and fans will find our program defined by a standard of excellence, and our team will play an unselfish, tough, and highly competitive brand of basketball. I am excited to get to work to build this proud program. Go Eagles!”
Good hire?
Tough to tell, but on paper given the lack of head coaching experience, but it feels like a good move.
Just 41 years old, Murray has been coaching since 2008 when he started as an assistant at Post. While he’s never been a head coach before, he certainly knows what winning looks like, spending the last five seasons at UConn. Before that, he was an assistant for Arizona, Wagner, Towson, URI, Xavier and Louisville.
The young age thing could help when it comes to recruiting and relating to guys, but we all know it comes down to money. If he got a significant commitment there, then he could very well be the guy to finally end the 18 going on 19-year tournament drought.
“Today marks a turning point in Boston College Men’s Basketball,” said AD Blake James in the same statement. “In Luke Murray, we have found a leader who does not just understand the modern landscape of college basketball – he has helped define it. His role in building a national championship caliber program, his sophisticated offensive vision, and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him the perfect fit to lead our student-athletes. We are thrilled to welcome Luke, his wife, Kara, and their family to the BC community.”
Expectations
Don’t let anything slide fans. BC did whatever it needed to do to get a guy to leave a very comfortable situation. Now, anything and everything he needs to take this team back to the tournament should be at his disposal.
He’s not Dan Hurley, but he can certainly bring a different attitude and approach to all things BC basketball. If he has enough support above him, fans should expect a lot, regardless of the head coaching experience or lack thereof.
