“I was very close to my grandparents,” Boston said. “They raised me from the time I was 6-months-old until I was 11, and my grandfather would take me to the Saturday matinee Westerns every week. It only cost 25 cents.”
Many years later and for a few dollars more, Boston is now playing the role of grandfather, taking grandsons C.J., 9, and Jaylon, 6, to the movies. Boston, who is the director of athletics at New Mexico State University, and his wife Magellia hosted two of their five grandchildren for six weeks last summer. They put up a basketball goal in the driveway and enrolled the boys in sports camps to help keep them busy. “Our goal is to spoil them as much as we can, and then send them back home,” Boston said with a smile.
Home is the South. The Bostons’ two adult children, Lance and Kimberly, live in Mobile, Alabama, and Picayune, Mississippi, respectively. McKinley and Magellia are also from the South, both growing up in North Carolina. A standout high school football player in Elizabeth City, Boston accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota in 1964. “I went from the segregated South to a predominately white university in the North,” Boston said. “The black athletes were about the only people of color on campus. It was an adjustment. About all I owned were some Chuck Taylor Converse tennis shoes and my high school letter jacket. My first winter up there, I was not prepared for the elements.”
As a lineman, Boston went on to a standout college football career with the Gophers from 1964-68, helping lead the team to a share of the conference championship in 1967. He played professional football with the New York Giants for two years and with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League for two years. Football was the launching pad for Boston’s impressive academic career. After he was finished playing the sport that provided him so many opportunities, he went on to receive his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Montclair State in 1973 and 1974. He received his doctorate in education in 1987 from New York University. He served as a visiting scholar at Harvard University in 1988 and earned a certificate of leadership from the National Academy of Leadership and Effectiveness in Washington, D.C., in 1999.
Boston has made his professional mark as an outstanding athletics administrator. He served as director of athletics at Rhode Island (1988-90) and Kean College (1986-87) in Union, N.J. From 1973-86, he served as director of student services at his alma mater, Montclair State College (N.J.) During that time he also served as an assistant football coach. He returned to the University of Minnesota during the 1990s, working first as director of athletics (1991-95) and then as vice president for student development and athletics (1995-2000). Before coming to NMSU in 2004, he served as president of MB&A, Inc., a consulting company that assists colleges and universities in the development of strategic business partnership planning.
After making the adjustment to the climate and culture of Minnesota, McKinley and Magellia were ready for a new adventure two years ago. NMSU President Dr. Michael Martin turned to Boston when he decided to revamp the school’s athletic department from the top down. “Mike and I had worked at Minnesota at the same time,” Boston said. “He was Dean of the College of Agriculture when I was vice president for student development and athletics. We had a good professional relationship. He wanted some help transitioning his presidency and he had an idea of how he wanted the athletic program to be. He made a leadership change and started talking to me about the job. He spoke to the regents and we were all on the same page.”
Before moving to Las Cruces, Boston’s only treks to the Southwest were to occasional business meetings and fund-raising events in the Phoenix area. The challenge of moving to a drastically new environment and taking on the chore of reshaping the NMSU athletic department appealed to Boston. “If I never saw another snowflake in my life, I’d be happy,” he said.
The change in cultures included architecture and landscape. Gone are the front porches that are so prominent in other parts of the country. Enter courtyards. Pitched roofs give way to flat tops. Spacious lawns and large shade trees are often times replaced by stones, palm trees and cacti. McKinley and Magellia looked at close to 35 homes before choosing one in the Sonoma Ranch area. “We liked the feel of it and the view is absolutely beautiful,” he said. “In hindsight, we probably should have gotten one with a pool, but maybe we can add it later.”
The transition to a smaller town in the Southwest has gone smoothly. “We’re both from small towns in North Carolina and Las Cruces has a small-town feel to it,” said McKinley. “We’re both comfortable with it, so the size wasn’t an issue.” Added Magellia, “The people here are friendly, so it reminds me of where we came from.”
One of Magellia’s favorite pastimes in Las Cruces is going for walks. Same with McKinley, although he usually has his golf clubs in tow. They both are adjusting to the Southwestern cuisine. Magellia’s favorite is chile rellenos. Said McKinley with a smile, “I’m still getting used to the chile. I’m trying to find my own personal preference.”
Spare time is rare for Boston these days. From hiring new coaches such as football’s Hal Mumme and basketball’s Reggie Theus, to finding new ways to market Aggie athletics, to creating fund-raising opportunities for the department, Boston has his hands full. “The work is challenging,” he said. “We’re trying to create a new workplace culture and that requires a lot of work and focus. We’ve been busy building relationships across the state and I’m also a member of a number of NCAA committees.”
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