Shortly before Boston College men’s basketball coach Luke Murray conducted his introductory press conference Tuesday, he asked Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla for a bit of advice.
“I know he’s the press conference guy, so I went to him this morning,” Murray said. “He said keep it very short.”
Murray was a bit more loquacious than Mazzulla typically is, but he followed a similar script with a healthy blend of sincerity and sarcasm.
The former UConn assistant Murray and Mazzulla have “known each other for a while,” and Murray said they have stayed in touch over the years.
“We’re pretty close in age and have sort of come through the basketball ranks together,” said Murray, who turns 41 on Wednesday. “He’s a fan of our team. I’m a fan of his team. He comes down and comes to our games, comes to our practices and spends time with our coaching staff.”
When asked how he plans to succeed in a city predominantly focused on pro sports, Murray mentioned Mazzulla and how he hopes to use the Celtics’ success as a springboard.
“I think using that as a position of strength for our program, having our players when they come in and take visits be excited about the idea of being in one of the greatest sports towns in the world,” Murray said. “Being around the Celtics, around the Patriots and the Red Sox.”