Boston College Athletics
Weekly Roundup: August 22, 2017
August 21, 2017 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
BC's Hard Knocks connection, fall sports, and more!
One of my favorite parts of the football preseason is the season debut of HBO's Hard Knocks. An in-depth look at one team's preseason, it's intriguing to see how a franchise conducts business from the top administrators down to how players spend their off time. This season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are under the proverbial spotlight, looking to build on last season's 9-7 success.
If you're fortunate enough to tune into an episode, head coach Dirk Koetter's office features an array of helmets lining his desk behind him. With a host of NCAA schools and NFL teams, it's a snapshot of a career touching four decades. And one of the helmets, a gold crown positioned next to the yellow Oregon Ducks throwback hat, is the distinctive look of the Boston College Eagles.
Koetter was the offensive coordinator in Chestnut Hill immediately following the Tom Coughlin era. In two seasons, he worked with Dan Henning as BC won the 1994 Aloha Bowl over Kansas State.
"I got to know him as a true freshman," former QB Scott Mutryn, now an Eagles sideline reporter for the IMG Sports Radio Network, said. "Everyone was always accountable, and there was always an attitude of 'next man up.' He made us accountable in front of our teammates, and he was always honest. I enjoyed playing for him because of that honesty and because he was always a huge supporter of his players. He was always the first one to have our backs."
Koetter's gone a long way from Chestnut Hill. After leaving BC, he went to Oregon as the offensive coordinator, then became head coach at both Boise State and Arizona State. Leaving the college game in 2007, he became a professional coordinator as the architect for offenses in Jacksonville, Atlanta and Tampa Bay before becoming the Bucs' head coach last season.
"It's funny because I watch the way he talks to Jameis Winston now, and I'm reliving those conversations from when he was my coach," Mutryn said. "I played a little bit in 1994 as a true freshman and got his perspective there, but in 1995, I redshirted. So I was on the headset signaling plays in and got a whole different perspective from listening to him talk everything over during a game, especially since Coach Henning was a quarterbacks guy himself."
Koetter's BC impact is still alive even though it's been almost 25 years since he coached at Alumni Stadium. Both Mark Hartsell and Mutryn finished their careers with over 3,000 yards passing and approximately 25 touchdowns. And when they work with quarterbacks now, they see the impact of drills they learned when working with a current NFL head coach.
"I think about the drills we used to do that seemed stupid at the time," Mutryn said. "But now they make sense when Mark and I work with quarterbacks. Dirk and Coach Henning were the best teachers for the position, and they always worked with us. We've adapted the drills and lessons to move forward with the time."
Hard Knocks airs on HBO on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. Two episodes have already aired and are available on HBO's on-demand HBO Go service, with new episodes airing each week until the start of the NFL regular season.
*****
As students plan and execute their moves back to Boston, the sports calendar is already well underway. The women's soccer team wrapped up a weekend at James Madison in Virginia last weekend, splitting a series with the host Dukes and the William & Mary Tribe.
The Eagles beat JMU, 4-3, in an overtime thriller thanks to a penalty kick by senior captain Lauren Berman. The game capped a BC comeback that saw the home team establish their momentum right off the start.
"We came out flat in the first half, and JMU came out flying," head coach Allison Foley said. "They made it really difficult for us to play and get into a rhythm. In the second half, we made better decisions and began to match their energy. It isn't a place we like to be at the half, down 2-0."
When I talked to Coach Foley before the season, it struck me how she very plainly would never make an excuse or feel sorry for a situation. Though the Eagles trailed, 2-0, they were able to get into their game and really put a drive into their game. Coming back in a soccer game from a multi-goal deficit isn't a walk in the park, and tying the game with 43 seconds left, then winning in overtime, is a proverbial feather in their cap.
William & Mary won the tournament with a victory over the Eagles, having previously beaten Providence, 2-0. But it's an encouraging start for BC, who return home for their opener on Aug. 25Â against Vanderbilt.
*****
Boston College basketball ended their summer vacation in a much more glamorous spot than most, traveling to the Bahamas for the Summer of Thunder exhibition tournament in Nassau. Â Playing two games in three days, the Eagles defeated the CTG Knights and NPBA All Stars, scoring at least 90 points both times out.
Freshman Steffon Mitchell, one of the four youngsters profiled over the summer, had a particularly strong outing, going 4-for-5 from the field in 25 minutes against CTG. He came within one rebound of a double-double while grabbing four offensive boards. Fellow freshman Luka Kraljevic contributed five defensive rebounds in just over 10 minutes of floor time.
Mitchell added even more floor time two days later, playing 31 minutes and once again threatening for a double-double. Jordan Chatman was on fire from beyond the arc, going 6-for-8 while finishing the game 11-for-16 overall.
One of the more underrated players on the trip, Johncarlos Reyes had 16 rebounds in the two games, including 11 on the defensive glass.
*****
For students moving back into campus, it's going to be a great upcoming weekend, particularly on Newton Campus. Both soccer programs and field hockey open their up home schedules on Friday night, with men's soccer and field hockey playing Quinnipiac at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively, before the women's soccer nightcap against the aforementioned Commodores at 7 p.m.
Newton Campus is sublime in its intimacy, and I experienced its uniqueness when I visited the fields during the preseason. Students who show up to support their Eagles are right on top of the action, and it's a great way for fans to impact games with atmosphere.
If you're fortunate enough to tune into an episode, head coach Dirk Koetter's office features an array of helmets lining his desk behind him. With a host of NCAA schools and NFL teams, it's a snapshot of a career touching four decades. And one of the helmets, a gold crown positioned next to the yellow Oregon Ducks throwback hat, is the distinctive look of the Boston College Eagles.
Koetter was the offensive coordinator in Chestnut Hill immediately following the Tom Coughlin era. In two seasons, he worked with Dan Henning as BC won the 1994 Aloha Bowl over Kansas State.
"I got to know him as a true freshman," former QB Scott Mutryn, now an Eagles sideline reporter for the IMG Sports Radio Network, said. "Everyone was always accountable, and there was always an attitude of 'next man up.' He made us accountable in front of our teammates, and he was always honest. I enjoyed playing for him because of that honesty and because he was always a huge supporter of his players. He was always the first one to have our backs."
Koetter's gone a long way from Chestnut Hill. After leaving BC, he went to Oregon as the offensive coordinator, then became head coach at both Boise State and Arizona State. Leaving the college game in 2007, he became a professional coordinator as the architect for offenses in Jacksonville, Atlanta and Tampa Bay before becoming the Bucs' head coach last season.
"It's funny because I watch the way he talks to Jameis Winston now, and I'm reliving those conversations from when he was my coach," Mutryn said. "I played a little bit in 1994 as a true freshman and got his perspective there, but in 1995, I redshirted. So I was on the headset signaling plays in and got a whole different perspective from listening to him talk everything over during a game, especially since Coach Henning was a quarterbacks guy himself."
Koetter's BC impact is still alive even though it's been almost 25 years since he coached at Alumni Stadium. Both Mark Hartsell and Mutryn finished their careers with over 3,000 yards passing and approximately 25 touchdowns. And when they work with quarterbacks now, they see the impact of drills they learned when working with a current NFL head coach.
"I think about the drills we used to do that seemed stupid at the time," Mutryn said. "But now they make sense when Mark and I work with quarterbacks. Dirk and Coach Henning were the best teachers for the position, and they always worked with us. We've adapted the drills and lessons to move forward with the time."
Hard Knocks airs on HBO on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. Two episodes have already aired and are available on HBO's on-demand HBO Go service, with new episodes airing each week until the start of the NFL regular season.
*****
As students plan and execute their moves back to Boston, the sports calendar is already well underway. The women's soccer team wrapped up a weekend at James Madison in Virginia last weekend, splitting a series with the host Dukes and the William & Mary Tribe.
The Eagles beat JMU, 4-3, in an overtime thriller thanks to a penalty kick by senior captain Lauren Berman. The game capped a BC comeback that saw the home team establish their momentum right off the start.
"We came out flat in the first half, and JMU came out flying," head coach Allison Foley said. "They made it really difficult for us to play and get into a rhythm. In the second half, we made better decisions and began to match their energy. It isn't a place we like to be at the half, down 2-0."
When I talked to Coach Foley before the season, it struck me how she very plainly would never make an excuse or feel sorry for a situation. Though the Eagles trailed, 2-0, they were able to get into their game and really put a drive into their game. Coming back in a soccer game from a multi-goal deficit isn't a walk in the park, and tying the game with 43 seconds left, then winning in overtime, is a proverbial feather in their cap.
William & Mary won the tournament with a victory over the Eagles, having previously beaten Providence, 2-0. But it's an encouraging start for BC, who return home for their opener on Aug. 25Â against Vanderbilt.
*****
Boston College basketball ended their summer vacation in a much more glamorous spot than most, traveling to the Bahamas for the Summer of Thunder exhibition tournament in Nassau. Â Playing two games in three days, the Eagles defeated the CTG Knights and NPBA All Stars, scoring at least 90 points both times out.
Freshman Steffon Mitchell, one of the four youngsters profiled over the summer, had a particularly strong outing, going 4-for-5 from the field in 25 minutes against CTG. He came within one rebound of a double-double while grabbing four offensive boards. Fellow freshman Luka Kraljevic contributed five defensive rebounds in just over 10 minutes of floor time.
Mitchell added even more floor time two days later, playing 31 minutes and once again threatening for a double-double. Jordan Chatman was on fire from beyond the arc, going 6-for-8 while finishing the game 11-for-16 overall.
One of the more underrated players on the trip, Johncarlos Reyes had 16 rebounds in the two games, including 11 on the defensive glass.
*****
For students moving back into campus, it's going to be a great upcoming weekend, particularly on Newton Campus. Both soccer programs and field hockey open their up home schedules on Friday night, with men's soccer and field hockey playing Quinnipiac at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively, before the women's soccer nightcap against the aforementioned Commodores at 7 p.m.
Newton Campus is sublime in its intimacy, and I experienced its uniqueness when I visited the fields during the preseason. Students who show up to support their Eagles are right on top of the action, and it's a great way for fans to impact games with atmosphere.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward/Center
/ Men's BasketballNo. 24 Baseball Defeats Duke (April 17, 2026)
Friday, April 17
#24 Baseball Defeats UConn (April 15, 2026)
Wednesday, April 15
#24 Baseball Defeats Northeastern in Beanpot Championship (April 14, 2026)
Wednesday, April 15
#23 Baseball Defeats Virginia Tech (April 12, 2026)
Tuesday, April 14
