Michigan basketball radio analyst Terry Mills (left), play-by-play announcer Brian Boesch (middle), and engineer Tony Butler (right). (Courtesy of Brian Boesch). Michigan basketball radio analyst Terry Mills (left), play-by-play announcer Brian Boesch (middle), and engineer Tony Butler (right). (Courtesy of Brian Boesch).
By Michael Grant on

Some broadcasters wait decades to cover a national championship team, while others never get the chance. Brian Boesch, 36, knows he is fortunate.

Boesch, the full-time voice of the Michigan Wolverines basketball team since the 2019-20 season, had a front-row seat to one of the program’s biggest moments. He was behind the microphone when Michigan defeated Connecticut to win the NCAA title in Indianapolis.

We caught up with Boesch to discuss what it was like to call a championship season.

Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Awful Announcing: What time did you go to bed after the game?

Brian Boesch: “I think I fell asleep around 6 a.m. Tuesday and woke up about 9.30. We got back and did all the post-game stuff. I did a couple of radio hits from the venue, walked back to the hotel, caught up with some of my coworkers who were in town, hung out at the team celebration until about 4 or 4:15, and then put together our postgame podcast. I think I released that about 5.30. I then doom-scrolled for about half an hour, looking at some of the stuff I missed while I was doing all the work.”

How tired were you?

“It was all adrenaline, really. There have been a few stretches when I got tired, especially with the quick turns from the Round of 64 to the Round of 32 or from the Sweet 16 to the Elite Eight. But because it was just such a great season, a great team, and awesome people to work with, I honestly haven’t had many moments when I was really, legitimately tired. Sometimes, yeah, there was some mental exhaustion, but man, I tried as best I could to soak it up as much as possible.”

What was it like calling that championship game?

“It was overwhelming. It was emotional. It was an honor. I had thought about part of the call for months because my broadcast partner, Terry Mills, was on the 1989 team…

“That 1989 team gets forgotten sometimes. A lot of people, I think, mistakenly believe the Fab Five was the previous national championship team… So it was important for me to, in some way, commemorate the ‘89 team and bridge the gap. So at the very end of my call, I said, ‘Terry Mills, you and that 1989 team finally have company.’”

How did Terry Mills react?

“He was emotional. Will Tschetter, who’s been there for five years, sprinted over to our broadcast spot and hugged Terry. I finished the call, flipped to some wireless gear, and immediately made my way over to the court to get some postgame interviews. So, I didn’t see Terry during this. I was hearing him as I tried to navigate a pretty unique on-court situation. You can hear how much it mattered to Terry. It certainly sounded like he was tearing up.”

How nervous were you during the final minute, given UConn’s stunner over Duke?

“It was tough not to think about that game. The only time I really got nervous was after Roddy Gayle missed two free throws. Otherwise, it always felt like Michigan had pretty good control, even if it got a little dicey. Michigan didn’t trail in the second half. I don’t think it was ever within a possession in the second half. UConn had an incredible game plan. I thought they played their tails off. I always knew Dan Hurley was a really good coach.”

What has it been like working with Dusty May?

“Dusty is as impressive a coach and a person as I’ve been around in sports. I admire his ability to delegate and trust. He has a lot of moving parts. He’s ready, willing, and able to be the face of a program. And nowadays, when you have so many players on a program for one year, the coach with longevity is the face of your program. So Dusty’s willing to do it. He entrusts his staff to handle some of the Xs and Os, some of the player development, and the one-on-one workout stuff along those lines. He is a CEO, and obviously, I think he’d probably rather coach more one-on-one player development, more Xs and Os, more film study, all of that. But that’s not as prevalent if you want to be successful today in college basketball.”

What is it like to be an Ohio native who is also the voice of the Michigan Wolverines?

“I have some family members who are big Ohio State fans. When I told them I got this offer, they were like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool. You’re not going to take it, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m absolutely going to take it.’ A lot of them are conflicted.

“When I got to Ann Arbor, I met Dan Dierdorf for the first time. Of course. Dan is a Canton, Ohio native, a great player at Michigan, and an NFL Hall of Famer. I introduced myself, and he asked me a few questions. He said, ‘You know, Michigan’s been built on the backs of great Ohioans.’ That was pretty cool. I am nowhere near his class, but yeah, it makes for a fun dynamic.”

Who is the coolest person you’ve met during this championship run?

“Man, I’ve had the chance to meet Adam Schefter a couple of times. I actually interviewed him after the Elite Eight game when he was in Chicago. I had met him before, but getting to know Ian Eagle over the last couple of years, especially this year, has been meaningful for me. Ian is a tremendous broadcaster. His willingness not only to have conversations with me but also to be supportive of me means a great deal.”

Did you always want to be a broadcaster?

“I grew up in Northeast Ohio in the 1990s, when Cleveland was one of the best teams in baseball. I was a very shy kid. I never even considered broadcasting until I was early in college (at Ohio University). I grew up with three great radio guys in my hometown. My favorite broadcaster to this day is Tom Hamilton, the voice of the Guardians. Joe Tait and Jim Donovan were the voices of my childhood. I really enjoyed them. And then an instructor of mine in college, Tom Hodson, came up to me and believed in me before I believed in myself as a broadcaster. It kind of started from there.”

What do you do now that basketball season is over?

“I’m our director of broadcasting here at Learfield and the Michigan sports property branch. We have a staff of about 15 full-timers here in Ann Arbor. I oversee all of our broadcasts. The main crux of my role during the offseason is to continue our year-round podcast network. I’ll do that and renew some contracts with our radio affiliates, which, coming off a national championship in basketball, should hopefully be fairly easy. I think there’ll be a lot of enthusiasm for Michigan.”

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

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