Babson men’s basketball coach Stephen Brennan still has the voicemail on his phone.
The call came from a 617 number last April as Brennan was boarding a plane to Minneapolis for the NCAA Final Four. He listened to the message upon landing.
“Hi Coach, this is Crew Ainge,” the voice said.
Ainge, at the time, was wrapping up his sophomore year at Utah State. About two weeks before phoning Brennan, he had informed the Aggies’ coaching staff he intended to transfer. Twenty or so schools had reached out, but Ainge was still in search of the right fit.