An Open Letter To Father Leahy

Dear Father Leahy,

Good morning. I think I speak for a majority of alumni when I say that Boston College Athletics needs to be fixed.

I don’t know what your expectations are from the programs on campus, but what we are seeing right now is not acceptable. Sure, women’s and men’s hockey have had some very talented teams lately, and the baseball and women’s soccer had a nice run last year but fans/athletes/families everywhere need the bigger programs, the revenue sports, to be fixed, and to bring pride back to our alma mater. And you can do this by hiring the right Athletic Director who can bring vision and direction to football, basketball and the other sports.

Brad Bates was a nice guy. He did some nice things for the school. Finally getting a plan for an IPF and new baseball/softball stadium on the ground and moving was a step in the right direction, listening to fans and getting more Power 5 opponents was positive as well. But he missed on a lot, and because of it, certain programs are stuck in neutral or going in reverse. He made safe hires to head his two flagship programs, and has watched as fan interest and on the court/field results have dwindled with no real answers to either of these. Looking at Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum half filled is depressing, and embarrassing to not only myself but to the school itself, because I am so proud to be a graduate of this fine school and have so many fond memories of fun and exciting athletic events during my time at the Heights. You remember when Al Skinner’s team started the season 20-0 right? Or when Matt Ryan had BC #2 in the nation? We aren’t even asking to be that great again, we just want athletics to be competitive again because right now, no matter how some spin it, we aren’t.

Father Leahy, this next hire could define your legacy at Boston College. Make a safe hire that will continue the status quo, who is hesitant to be bold and BC is going to continue to be in the cellar of the ACC. As a fan and donor, this option is completely unacceptable. But if you utilize the search committee and mandate that they find candidates who have new ideas, who can find ways to utilize the resources BC has at it’s disposal and build on that, you can build something that will be there after you are gone. If you can find a candidate that brings energy and excitement back to the program, that isn’t afraid to make hard choices with the current staff, fans will appreciate you and understand that you do in fact value the program. Pride will return to the Heights, a goal we can all agree is noble right?

I’m not asking for you to forget what Boston College is all about, in fact I would be disappointed if you selected an AD that threw away all the values and mission of this fine school in order to win. But you can do better than keeping the status quo at Chestnut Hill, we should be the beacon of collegiate academic AND athletic excellence in the Northeast. There is no reason that Boston College can’t build programs that not only bring pride on the field/court/etc, but also And if you believe that the current state is fine, please step aside and let someone else make the decision. You may only have a few years left at Boston College, but this decision could have ramifications for decades. We are tired of being the laughing stock of the ACC, we want to get back to BC, to attend the games, to be excited again.

Please remember that “Ever to Excel” applies to the entire student, and everything that BC does, from academics to community service, from leadership to athletics. Make a hire that brings pride back to Boston College Athletics. We know you can do it.

Soar,

AJ