One of the most valuable people in the Boston University men’s hockey program is neither a player nor a hockey coach. In fact, he’s never even played in a real hockey game.
But don’t think for a second that strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle is just another replaceable piece.
As a matter of fact, in a world where BU coach Jack Parker always has the unquestioned final word, Boyle is so respected, even Parker obliges to nearly his every request.
“We’ve given him full reign with our program,” Parker said. “He’s as much a head coach around here as anybody with all the stuff that goes on with the off-ice stuff.
“We almost just, “Yessir,’ when he tells us what he wants to do.”
The Boyle name has been a fixture in BU athletics for years &- Mike’s father, Arthur Boyle, captained Harry Agganis and the Terrier football team in the early 1950s.
The younger Boyle didn’t attend BU but instead studied athletic training at Springfield College, even spending a year on the Pride’s football team.
“I have a very undistinguished athletic resume,” Boyle said. “I’ve never even played in a hockey game.”
Boyle got his start as an athletic trainer at BU in 1982, but quickly quit the job to take an unpaid position working as a strength coach at the university. After three years of volunteering, Boyle took over as the football team’s strength coach, and remained with the squad until the team was disbanded in 1997.
Even before the football team folded, Parker was calling on Boyle’s services for his players, and BU’s football loss was a big gain for Parker, who now had Boyle all to himself.
During that time, Boyle developed his own belief system, which was heavily influenced by the work European and especially Russian athletes had been doing for years.
Boyle’s work helped the football team, no doubt, but his revelations in regards to hockey training helped change the game entirely.
“One of the problems then was they weren’t doing anything, and what they were doing was misguided,” Boyle said “It was very easy to improve it. Basically, with hockey, they’re a sprinter involved in collisions, so we said, “Let’s think football and sprinting.’ That’s what we did.
“Strength becomes a big issue for injury prevention, and when you look at sprinters, even in the 1970s and early 80s, sprinters were into weight training to develop speed. They knew it was the best way to get faster. . .what we did was very unconventional.”
Among Boyle’s side projects over that time has been work with the U.S. Women’s Olympic soccer and ice hockey teams, the Boston Bruins, Boston Breakers and New England Revolution.
Boyle’s reputation extends beyond just New England &-&- the strength coach has given speeches to MLB strength and conditioning coaches, the Netherland’s Olympic Committee and the German National Ice Hockey Federation, among others. Former assistants of Boyle’s have been spreading his gospel throughout the sporting world, working with multiple professional teams in many sports.
“At the Bruins’ camp this summer, a lot of the things their strength and conditioning coach was doing, he got straight from Mike Boyle,” said junior assistant captain Dave Warsofsky.
Boyle’s expertise is obviously impressive, but what separates him from other strength coaches is his ability to motivate &- BU hockey players know better than to challenge Boyle’s wisdom.
“I don’t think he’s a yeller or a screamer,” Parker said. “I think they walk on egg shells around him, to tell you the truth. They know enough not to fool with Mike.”
“I think when you first come in, there’ll be a little fear,” senior co-captain Joe Pereira said. “But as you get to know him, you know that’s how he is and that’s what he expects out of you. You get to know him and that fear almost turns into friendship.”
The fruits of Boyle’s labor can be seen on the ice, but perhaps the biggest kick-back Boyle’s reputation has come is in the recruiting realm.
“People want to come here for him,” Parker said. “I can tell you guys like Mike Grier were here for one reason. It’s because Mike [Boyle’s] here. Obviously, Mike Boyle did a lot for Mike Grier, and stories like that abound. Johnny Cullen and Chris Drury and the Jay Pandolfo’s and Chris Drury’s, they all got a lot better off the ice because of Mike Boyle, and they all had such long and productive NHL careers because of Mike Boyle.
“In the recruiting situations, I know that people are telling kids that, “Hey, we’re doing the same thing Mike Boyle’s doing at BU, you know. We have [one of his] assistants here who’s working for us.’
“My response to that is, “Yeah, that’s like saying we have Bill Belichick’s assistant. How’s that worked out in other areas around the NFL?’ You have Bill Belichick’s playbook, yeah, but you don’t have Bill Belichick coaching your team.”
Boyle has often been tempted to leave Commonwealth Avenue for potentially greener pastures, but has remained loyal to his dad’s alma mater.
“I’ve had a bunch of opportunities to leave, and somehow, over the years, I always end up staying at BU,” Boyle said.
“A big part of that is Coach Parker. I definitely feel loyalty to him. He’s made my job a good job and an easy job to do. He’s very supportive of what we do.”
Between Parker’s loyalty, and his father’s ties to BU, it’s a safe bet that Boyle is in Boston to stay.
“I grew up with this stuff in my blood. Numerous times I’ve thought about [leaving], but I never did it. . .I don’t think I’m going anywhere.”
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