First-year Boston College men’s basketball coach Luke Murray is removing all vestiges of the program’s disappointing recent past, right down to the team’s radio announcers.
One of actor Bill Murray‘s six sons, the 41-year-old was hired in March after a five-year run as a University of Connecticut assistant that included a pair of national championships.
And as part of Luke’s renovations in Chestnut Hill, where the Eagles have failed to reach the NCAA Tournament since 2009, WEEI radio announcers Kevin Collins and Josh Maurer have both been let go after working nine seasons together.
According to Collins, that decision came down directly from Murray.
‘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 told Awful Announcing.
‘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.’
Collins claimed program officials told him Murray didn’t want anyone affiliated with the program’s ‘losing mentality’ to remain in Chestnut Hill. In response, Collins offered to stay on as a radio engineer in a non-speaking role, but was turned down.
Luke Murray took over at Boston College in March after working under Dan Hurley at UConn
WEEI radio announcers Kevin Collins (left) and Josh Maurer have both been let go at BC
‘I asked that question, and he just wants everybody new,’ Collins said. ‘It doesn’t matter who it is. It just seems like even though he hasn’t met you guys, it’s like anybody but you two.’
Maurer, who also works as the Milwaukee Brewers radio play-by-play announcer, has not responded publicly.
Boston College athletic director Blake James did not deny Murray’s role in the decision, but did say it was made by program officials along with multimedia relations partner, Van Wagner.
‘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 partner. We wish both Kevin and Josh the best going forward,’ James said in a statement.
Bill and Luke Murray catch some Big East tourney action in 2016, when Luke was an assistant coach at Xavier. He would go on to work for Dan Hurley at UConn, winning a pair of NCAA titles
Perhaps the biggest issue with the decision was the timing. Had the pair been let go in March, they would have had ample time to secure winter work. Instead, they’ll both enter college basketball season without much hope of catching on with any station.
As Collins told Awful Announcing, he and his on-air partner have been trying to secure a meeting with Murray since he took the job in March, only to repeatedly be rebuffed.
‘I was always told either Coach Murray is off recruiting, or we have an official visit today, and it’s not a good day, we’ve got a lot going on,’ Collins said.
They even tried inviting Murray to a catered lunch.
‘That angle didn’t work either,’ Collins said. ‘We didn’t get any reply on that.’
(From left) Luke, Bill and Homer Murray are seen at the 2023 US Open Tennis Championships
But despite the communication issues, Collins said he was told his job was safe up until last week, when things suddenly changed.
Boston College deputy athletic director Craig Anderson pushed back on the decision to replace Collins and Maurer, but was overruled, according to Collins.
‘You just allow this guy to come in and demand our jobs and our livelihoods without any real fight,’ added Collins. ‘It seems like without giving us a chance to perhaps speak up and defend ourselves, or at least try to build some type of connection with Coach Murray before he was allowed to make that decision. It just seems really unjust to me.
‘They are in an absolute state of amazement and shock as well,’ he said. ‘Can’t believe it.’
