In very sad news, Mike Babul, a Massachusetts high school and college basketball superstar and current beloved boy’s basketball coach at Thayer Academy in Massachusetts, passed away unexpectedly at just 47 years old. It appears that a heart attack is to blame for his sudden death in relative youth over this holiday season.
Mr. Babul’s career as a basketball legend began at North Attleboro High School, where he rose to prominence and dominated the court. He then went on to the University of Massachusetts, where he was noted not just for his skill on the court but for his leadership of his teammates. Playing on the team from 1996 to 2000, Mr. Babul was, over those four years, a three-year starter who earned four varsity letters while also being selected for the A-10 Conference All-Defensive and All-Academic Teams three times.
After becoming an iconic college basketball player, he became a coach. While that coaching career included time with numerous colleges and the Brooklyn Nets organization, as the assistant coach for their feeder team, Mr. Babul was, up until his death, serving as the head boy’s basketball coach at Thayer Academy. This season was his second at the school, where he was known for his passion for the sport and dedication to his players, and he was working with the South Shore Monarchs in The Basketball League.
The University of Massachusetts issued a statement following Mr. Babul’s death, noting his legendary status in the basketball community and positive influence as a coach and community member. The statement said, “We mourn the passing of UMass alum Mike Babul. Babul was a true Massachusetts basketball legend on the court, serving as a positive force in his community and on many sidelines as a coach #Flagship
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Also commenting on Mr. Babul’s tragic and sudden passing was Bobbi Moran, the athletic director at Thayer. Moran, commenting on his immense love of the sport and those who play it, said, “He had a magnetic personality. He did everything with gusto and passion. He loved the game of basketball. He loved being around basketball.”
Continuing, Moran noted that he was great at coaching all the different kids who showed up to play ball and at making the school’s basketball program great, saying, “He loved coaching kids of all ages and all ability levels. He turned our program (around); he took what (former coach) Mike Jones had built (and took it to the next level). Those boys would walk through fire for him. They loved him deeply and he loved them deeply.”
Moran further noted that Mr. Babul seemed to quite like his job and get a great deal of joy out of it, saying, “He had sent out an email just before the holidays saying how much he appreciated working with us at Thayer and how grateful he was to be there and how it was one of the greatest joys of his life. He used to say, ‘This is my dream job.'”
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Concluding, Moran commented on the immense sadness in the Thayer community over his passing, saying, “I’m so sad for our boys. I’m so sad for our families, our community. And I’m so eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him and his coaching staff. He is a legend and he’s going to be sorely missed.”