Checking in with Coach McKay

Three years ago Ritchie McKay was an assistant coach to Tony Bennett, one of the most decorated coaches in college basketball, for the University of Virginia, one of the most successful teams in the ACC.

Despite having secured an assistant coach position at one of the premiere teams in college basketball, he left UVA to return as head coach at Liberty University, which had only one winning season in the six years that he was gone.

McKay served as head coach for the Flames during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons before joining UVA as associate head coach for six years. He returned to Liberty in 2015 as head coach and has since revived the Flames basketball program that was 85-110 during the six years that he was gone.

The 2017-2018 season highlighted the basketball program’s turnaround, as the Flames were literally seconds away from the Big South Championship when they fell to Radford. The Flames also earned the title of Jim Phelan Classic Champions in the CIT.

“I think we accomplished some really good things, and I feel like we experienced a ton of good growth, both athletically and spiritually, and I like the upward trajectory that we are on,” McKay said.

McKay said championships and trophies are not his career’s main focus. His main goal is to build strong Christian athletes and a healthy culture within the men’s basketball program, regardless of success or fame.

According to sophomore guard Caleb Homesley, this translated in the locker room. He noted that McKay is just as much a coach as he is a mentor to the team.

“He has had a big impact. Not just in basketball but as a person. He is a big influencer who grows you mentally, physically and spiritually,” Homesley said. “I look at him as a mentor and I do not see him just as a coach, but I see him as a friend and as someone that I can go to.”

McKay said he aims to develop great men out of the players that come through his team and to sponsor a culture of teamwork.

“Our goals are to be developers, to shepherd love so that our young men are prepared to be great husbands, great fathers, great friends, great sons and great teammates. And when I see that pursuit, that is what brings me joy,” McKay said.

The Flames have already seen quite a lot of growth since his return to the team. The players have learned to play as part of a team and pursue the same goal.

“Our desire is to be knitted in the fabric of who Liberty is, and we have got guys who are pursuing that on a daily basis,” McKay said. “One of our pillars is to be we over me, and I think our guys have embraced that and are pursuing it on a regular basis.”

Homesley has been a part of that growth and experienced it for himself during his time on the team. He said the team is all-in, and each player is playing for the team instead of himself.

“Coach McKay was trying to figure out what guys were really invested in the team. He really made that big approach and said that he wanted guys who were all in,” Homesley said. “Our success was not just because we were playing for ourselves, but we were playing for each other.”

After the success of the 2017-2018 season, as well as a number of skilled new recruits joining, Homesley has high hopes for the 2018-2019 season.

“It is a big season coming ahead. We have got some good guys coming in, and once we build the foundation and let them know how things go here and the culture that we try to instill here, I think that our season is going to be really good,” Homesley said.

The Flames are also looking forward to the construction of a new arena, which is planned to be completed by the first basketball game in 2020. The arena will seat up to 4,000 spectators and will be used for men’s and women’s basketball games as well as volleyball games. It will provide a smaller, more intimate venue for students and other spectators to enjoy the sport.

Both McKay and Homesley said they are excited for the completion of the arena.

“It is the trend of college basketball programs to have a more intimate setting. My desire is to have the kind of people that our students want to come and support, and I think we have that,” McKay said. “Our student body can have such an impact on our program, and the atmosphere that they create is especially valuable. Hopefully we can generate enough interest and do our part so that people will be lined up to get into the new arena.”

For Homesley, the arena will provide a setting for the team to succeed and feel more connected with the student fanbase.

“It is going to be good. I think that is something we need here, and the atmosphere is going to be something that is really great,” Homesley said.

The Flames are looking forward to the 2018-2019 arena and are already training hard in preparation.