Brandeis Magazine

Andy Jick ’74 was the Boston Celtics’ public-address announcer from 1980-97, a banner time in the history of that NBA franchise, when Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale joined forces to bring home three championship trophies, in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

Jick’s voice was inextricably linked to those successes. Fans loved his distinctive, drawn-out delivery — “Three-e-e-e-e points for Larry Birrrrd!” “Time out Celllltics!” So when Jick died unexpectedly in his sleep on May 3 at age 66, the outpouring of condolences from athletes, coaches, managers, journalists and sports fans was immediate and heartfelt. “For anyone who enjoyed the iconic run of the 1980s Celtics in the Boston Garden, Andy Jick’s voice provides the soundtrack to those memories,” the Celtics organization tweeted.

Brandeis trustee Dan Jick ’79, P’09, P’12, says his older brother genuinely cared about the coaches, players and staff members he met throughout the years, and developed deep connections off the court. Andy derived joy from “all of the friendships he built along the way,” Dan remembers.

As an undergraduate, Jick managed the Brandeis men’s basketball team and called their home games. In 1978, the Celtics asked him to step in when the team’s regular announcer wasn’t available (a Brandeis alum who worked in the Celtics front office had recommended him). After Jick became the official voice of the Celtics two years later, he handled that high-profile, demanding role while simultaneously holding down full-time corporate jobs.

Jick joined Boston College as its basketball PA announcer in 2001, and added announcing gigs for hockey, lacrosse and baseball in 2012 after retiring from his job at Timberland Co.

“Hearing his voice do our PA made us happy because of how much Andy made us happy,” baseball head coach Mike Gambino told Boston College’s sports-news website after Jick’s death.

The Jick family has strong ties to Brandeis. Like Andy and Dan, Dan’s wife, Elizabeth ’81, P’09, P’12, earned an undergraduate degree at the university; so did Dan and Elizabeth’s children Jamie ’09 and Josh ’12. And Andy and Dan’s late father, Leon, was a professor of Near Eastern and Judaic studies at Brandeis.

Donations in Andy’s memory can be made online at giving.brandeis.edu/makeagift (choose “Other” for the gift designation and type “Andrew Jick Memorial Fund”), or by calling 800-333-1948.

— Heather Salerno