Quotes from Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Athletics Director Jeff Barber and new head basketball coach Ritchie McKay.
Liberty President Jerry Falwell
“This is an exciting day for all of us.”
“I said to Ritchie, ‘You’ve been gone long enough.’ I did the same thing he did. I left Liberty and went to UVa for law school myself. You have to do that sometimes. You learn something.”
“I want to congratulate Jeff Barber for doing a fantastic job with this search.”
Liberty Director of Athletics Jeff Barber
“It’s a big day for Liberty University. It’s a big day for Liberty Basketball. Thanks to President Falwell for his continued support, not just of the athletics department, but of this entire university. I want to thank Collegiate Sports Associates, Todd Turner and Dave Odom. They’ve been terrific to work with, and I certainly appreciate everything they did. I also want to thank Mickey Guridy, my senior associate athletic director, who went with me all over the country during the last three weeks, visiting coaches.”
“Over the last three weeks, I talked to a total of nine coaches. They were all Christian men and excellent coaches. Seven of them had head coaching experience. We went into seven homes and talked to coaches. We talked about their faith and their ability to lead a basketball program.”
“My responsibility was to find the right Christian man that I felt was best qualified to come in here and build a powerhouse basketball program. Once those interviews were completed, there was no question in my mind that the right coach for Liberty was Ritchie McKay. He’s proven himself over and over. More importantly, he’s proven himself here at Liberty. As our coach for two years, he proved himself. He knows what he’s doing. He knows Liberty. He loves Liberty.”
“When Virginia completed its season on March 22, schools started calling Ritchie. He told me, ‘I’m not going to talk to anybody until you tell me I’m not the coach at Liberty.’ That showed me his desire to be here.”
“Six years ago today, he left to go to Virginia. He had the great honor and privilege of coaching with one of his best friends, National Coach of the Year Tony Bennett. Today, he is a better man and a much better coach than he was six years ago.”
Liberty Men’s Basketball Head Coach Ritchie McKay
“I would like to thank President Falwell. I’m truly honored and blessed to have the opportunity to come back to Liberty. We’re going to serve you well. I’d like to share that same thanks to Jeff Barber. To have that relationship restored and to see his trust in me and my family is a blessing to me.”
“I also want to thank Dale Layer, his wife Brenda and his sons. He’s a tremendous man. He added value to this campus community and I love him.”
“I want to thank Tony Bennett. You know him as a great coach. What you don’t know is that he’s a better man. I would not be standing in front of you without being with him for as long as I was. I learned a ton from him.”
“I’ve been a fan of Liberty since I left. I was privileged to be hired by Doc [Jerry Falwell, Sr.] I believe anything can happen here. I can’t wait to coach this team.”
“I never left. Dick Bennett said you should never run from something. You should always be running toward something. I left to go and be obedient to what I thought was our responsibility, to go serve a friend. I was faithful to that, and along the way I got blessed.”
“I think I’m a better coach, I think I’m a better husband, I think I’m a better father from the time I spent in Charlottesville. I just ask you to give us a chance. I feel like I’m the most blessed coach in the country. I’m excited and privileged to be a part of this family again.”
“I hope we’ll see this program reach a level that not even you thought was possible.”
Share
Contributors
