Making the Right Connections – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Most people view basketball as just a game, where the object is, “to put the ball in the hoop,” but to Ohio State associate head coach Rick Boyages, basketball has served more then just a game. Through basketball, Boyages has earned a college degree, become a successful assistant and head coach at the Division I level, and above all, has made countless friendships along the way.
Although basketball still remains a top priority to Boyages, it no longer serves as the necessity it once served. Outside the gym, Boyages spends most of his time with his wife Deana and their three daughters, Alexis, Noelle and Sophia.
However, growing up in Wakefield, Mass., basketball was a necessity as Boyages used the game to cope with the loss of his mother at the early age of 14. Throughout his childhood it was not an uncommon occurrence to hear the echoing bounce of a basketball in the Boyages’ driveway where he used to play for hours to block out the painful memory of his mother’s passing.
“Sports in general were always a great therapist for me,” Boyages said. “I spent a lot of time playing basketball throughout my mom’s entire sickness.”
Despite the adversity Boyages faced as a teenager, the experience made him a stronger person, while instilling a humble attitude, which has appealed to so many individuals Boyages has met.
“A lot of people come to a fork in the road throughout life and Rick chose basketball as his escape.” Jeff Damron, executive director of Adventures for Wish Kids, a charity Boyages works with, said.
While using basketball as an escape, Boyages emerged as one of the top high school players throughout the area and went on to star at Bowdoin College, where he was an All-New England basketball honoree. Along with being named All-New England, Boyages also received the Allison Haldane Cup for his outstanding leadership and character at his commencement from Bowdoin in 1985. The attitude Boyages displayed throughout college impressed many around him so much that at the age of 24 he was named head basketball coach at Bates College just two years removed from the college himself. Four years later, Boyages was hired by current Ohio State men’s basketball coach Jim O’Brien to coach on his basketball staff at Boston College. Boyages later left with O’Brien to coach the Buckeyes.
During their time together, O’Brien and Boyages have led teams to 15 NCAA tournament games in five appearances, including the Final Four and the elite eight twice. In each NCAA showing, the two have never failed to win their first-round game. In addition, teams coached by O’Brien and Boyages have also captured the Big East and Big Ten championships.
“My relationship with Coach O’Brien is one that has evolved into a great friendship,” Boyages said. “We both have similar strategies in regards to coaching and he’s one of the brightest basketball minds out there. I don’t think I could work with anybody as intelligent as him.
“There may be other coaches that know X’s and O’s a little better than Jim and there maybe some out there that can handle their players a little better, but I don’t know if there is anybody in the country that combines the two as well as he does,” Boyages said.
At the end of the 2000 season, Boyages left his friend and mentor to return to the head coaching ranks to coach at William and Mary. During his three seasons with the Tribe, Boyages compiled a record of 35-52 with a 21-31 record in the Colonial Conference. His 11 wins during his first season as head coach were the most by a first-year head coach at the school since 1983.
This season Boyages returned to Columbus for his second stint with the Ohio State men’s basketball program. It also marks the 10th season Boyages and O’Brien have coached together.
Boyages’ return to the Buckeyes staff came after previous associate head coach Paul Biancardi left Ohio State to become a head coach at Wright State. With a vacancy on the bench, O’Brien did not think twice about the prospect of bringing back his friend and former assistant.
“Rick is an outstanding coach and a very good friend,” O’Brien said. “The decision to bring Rick back to our staff was really a no brainier. With Rick I know I’m getting a guy who is very loyal and very trustworthy. I can always rest easy knowing that he’s there with me on the bench.
“It’s very flattering to know you are appreciated,” Boyages said. “Ohio State’s athletics department is second to none, so I was thrilled at the prospect of returning to Columbus.”
With a 2002-03 season that saw the injury-plagued Buckeyes stumble to 17-15 record, the addition of the 41-year-old Boyages could be just what the doctor ordered. Throughout his career, Boyages has been a part of some of college basketball’s greatest one-season turnarounds.
During his tenure at Boston College, Boyages helped turn around the Eagles from a 9-19 team in 1995 to a 19-11 team that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1996. Boyages also experienced similar success in his first stint as associate head coach at Ohio State as he helped turn the Buckeyes from a 8-21 team during the 1997-98 season to a 27-9 team during the 1998-99 campaign. The Buckeyes’ amazing 1998-99 turnaround marked the fourth-best single-season improvement in NCAA Division I history.
“Returning to Columbus was an easy transition for me,” Boyages said. “A lot of people, who were here in Columbus when I left in 2000 are still here so it was nice to come back to a familiar setting.”
Boyages’ return to the area also brought a smile to face of many local Columbus charities. During his first stop in Columbus, Boyages gained the reputation as a caring coach who worked with numerous charities, including: Adventures for Wish Kids, Children’s Hospital, The James Cancer Hospital and the Columbus Cancer Clinic.
Upon his return, Boyages immediately returned to devoting his time to local charities throughout the area. Currently, Boyages serves on the executive board of Adventures for Wish Kids, where he devotes much of his time to helping children with terminal illnesses.
However, do not watch the news or look in the newspaper for recent charity work done by Boyages because chances are you will come up empty. Although Boyages takes much pride in the charity work he has done over the years within the Columbus area, he remains reluctant to bask in the attention that comes along with the charity work.
“The charity work Rick does is not for show,” Damron said. “This is Rick’s sixth year in the program and over the years he has very quietly done a lot of great things for young children throughout the area. Rick has amazing basketball skills, but his people skills are just as good as his basketball skills.
“You can’t really say enough about Rick,” Damron said. ” He is a great leader for today’s youth and he teaches kids on the court and off the court as well.”
Boyages, who also holds a master’s degree in education from Boston University, was immediately accepted by the Ohio State players especially junior guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham.
“Coach Boyages is a great guy,” Fuss-Cheatham said. “He really understands guards and he’s always giving you tips on how to improve. It’s very easy to talk to him and he’s always there for his players.”
Fuss-Cheatham is one of many players Boyages has had an effect on throughout his coaching tenure.
“Coach Boyages is just an excellent coach,” former Ohio State guard Brian Brown said. “He’s very hands on when it comes to basketball and he really understands the pressures that are on today’s student-athletes.”
Brown who played under Boyages from 1998-2000, recalled the special attention he received from Boyages when Brown first started at Ohio State.
“Things were kind of tough when I first started at Ohio State,” Brown said. “I had some trouble with my jump shot and free throws, plus I also was a long way from home and Coach Boyages really helped me out. We still talk even today about basketball and life in general.”
Although Boyages remains in Columbus during the college basketball season, his coaching talents have not permanently grounded him to just in the United States. Over the years Boyages has been involved with numerous international federations, national teams and professional clubs.
Teams from all over the world have recruited his services for conducting basketball clinics. In all, Boyages has promoted the game of basketball in Africa, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Slovakia and Sweden.
“I love sharing the knowledge in which I have gained over the years,” Boyages said. “I think it’s great to travel around the world and take in other cultures from other nations.”
In 1996 and 1997, he conducted coaching clinics at the American College of Greece. Prior to that, Boyages worked extensively with the Czech Basketball Federation where serveing as the visiting coach of their national team and as a consultant to three-time professional champion USK Praha. Following his efforts the Czech Basketball Federation honored Boyages in 1995 for organizing the country’s first summer basketball camp and promoting the game nationwide.
“I love teaching and working with elite athletes who share the same passion for the game of basketball as I do,” Boyages said. “The best part of coaching comes in watching players develop and to see them evolve over time.”
