WCVB Sports Anchor Mike Lynch To Retire

Mike Lynch, longtime principal sports anchor at Hearst Television WCVB Boston (DMA 9), announced he will retire on Aug. 15.

Fondly referred to as “Lynchie” by his fans and colleagues, Lynch was named the Massachusetts Sportscaster of the Year an unprecedented 16 times and has been an integral part of WCVB’s SportsCenter 5 team for more than 37 years.

“After nearly 40 years at WCVB, I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the daily anchoring of SportsCenter 5. But it’s not goodbye … I’m looking forward to remaining in the sports mix at the station, working on special assignments, major sporting events, ‘High 5,’ and the annual ‘High 5: Salute to Thanksgiving Heroes,” said Lynch when making the announcement.

“In my new role as a correspondent, I very much look forward to bringing the same energy and enthusiasm to all of these assignments. Working in the greatest sports town where I grew up, and covering so many memorable championships and iconic moments for SportsCenter 5, has been a true privilege and a career I will always treasure.”

“Mike is unquestionably the Dean of Boston sports broadcasting, and it’s difficult to imagine WCVB’s sports coverage without Lynchie at the helm,” said Bill Fine, WCVB president-GM. “Not only does he have the absolute respect and trust of everyone in Boston’s professional sports community, but he’s also beloved by the high school sports community for his commitment to advancing high school athletics. Lynchie has been featuring the achievements of student athletes in his segment ‘High 5’ for more than three decades, and his encyclopedic knowledge of, and deep admiration for, the region’s schools and players is evident.”

Lynch joined WCVB as weekend sports anchor in March 1982, and he was promoted to principal sports anchor in September 1985 and has led the SportsCenter 5 team ever since.

Over the course of his career, Lynch has provided extensive, award-winning coverage of Boston’s professional sports teams, as well as high schools, colleges, professional boxing, and Boston Marathons. Lynch has covered Boston teams in every Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Final and Stanley Cup since 1982.

In 1985, Lynch initiated “High 5,” a weekly report highlighting the achievements of high school athletes. The segments have received numerous honors for SportsCenter 5’s continuing commitment to covering high school athletics. Lynch has also been instrumental to the annual production of “High 5 Salutes Thanksgiving Heroes,” WCVB’s half-hour wrap-up program of all the traditional high school football rivalries across the Bay State.

From 1995 through 2008, Lynch hosted the weekly sports program Patriots All Access, a behind-the-scenes look at the New England Patriots, and served as a broadcast commentator during Patriots pre-season games. He has also done play-by-play coverage for the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, and college football. For 11 years, he hosted the Boston College weekly football coach’s show Eagles Preview on Channel 5.

Prior to coming to WCVB, Lynch was sports director for Boston’s WMRE-AM (now WMEX), from 1980 to 1983. During this time, Lynch was responsible for the station’s Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins pre-game shows. In addition, he hosted a weeknight sports talk show and was the radio voice of Harvard University’s football broadcasts. Lynch’s broadcasting career began in 1974 at WLYN-AM in Lynn, Mass., where he served as a color commentator for high school football and basketball broadcasts.

Lynch graduated from Harvard in 1977. While in college, he quarterbacked and kicked for the Harvard team that won the 1975 Ivy League Football Championship.  He also played first base for the Crimson baseball team.