McKay’s departure stuns LU

As late as Tuesday evening, Liberty athletics director Jeff Barber had no inkling Ritchie McKay was about to leave his post as head men’s basketball coach after two years.

Barber was aware of the longtime friendship between McKay and new Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett. McKay broached the subject of possibly joining Bennett’s staff with Barber on Sunday, before Bennett, then Washington State’s coach, had even agreed to go to UVa.

Tuesday afternoon, Virginia athletics director Craig Littlepage contacted Barber, asking for permission to speak with McKay. In the evening, Barber and McKay dined together. At the end of the meal, Barber asked McKay what he thought about joining Bennett in Charlottesville.

“At the time, I still felt like he was going to be our coach,” Barber said.

Which was why Barber felt such a sense of shock Wednesday morning when McKay informed Barber that he would be leaving to become the associate head coach on Bennett’s staff.

McKay told his assistant coaches and Liberty’s players of the move as well. All parties involved used the same word in regards to McKay’s announcement: Shock.

“You don’t know why people make the decisions that they do, but you just trust them,” Barber said. “Coach McKay is a great guy, a great man. He feels like he was doing what was best for his family. I can’t question that.”

Barber met with Liberty’s players in the Flames’ team room Wednesday afternoon. Afterward, the players took a vote and chose not to speak publicly about McKay’s departure.

Lead assistant Brad Soucie, who was named the team’s interim head coach Wednesday, described the players’ reaction to the news.

“(McKay) has had a lot of passion for this job and for our players, with the way he’s mentored and led them,” Soucie said. “So there’s a lot of disappointment and frustration.”

Soucie, who has been with McKay at each of his head coaching stops, said he plans to apply for the open post at Liberty.

McKay said Soucie would be a great candidate for the position.

“Brad would be a

tremendous hire for the men’s basketball program,” McKay said. “He’s be an excellent coach. He helped us to get where we are. It’s just a matter of moving over eight inches to another chair and being the guy who’s calling the plays.”

Liberty was McKay’s fifth head coaching job, and at four of his stops, he stayed no longer than two years.

New Mexico was the only exception, and he was fired there midway through his fifth season.

In a phone conversation Wednesday night, McKay admitted he had a “tough time” all day explaining to people why he made his decision, adding “I love Liberty and everything it’s about.”

McKay didn’t seek out any job offers in the days after the season ended, and he had planned on returning for his third season until Bennett called. He called Tony’s father, Dick, the former Washington State and Wisconsin coach, a “basketball and life mentor.” After hearing an offer from Tony Bennett Tuesday night, McKay slept on it, but was up at 5 a.m. Wednesday, still conflicted. In the end, he chose to join Bennett in Charlottesville.

“I understand people will question it, and I understand people will be disappointed,” McKay said. “I’m ready to do something else. I don’t need to be the man. I don’t need to be the face of the program.”

Under McKay, Liberty won 39 games in two seasons, including a school Division I record tying 23 this year. The Flames advanced to the Big South tournament semifinals both years and earned a berth in the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Tournament this year, losing in the quarterfinals to James Madison.

McKay’s announcement resonated some 2,000-plus miles away in Arizona, as well. Bo Barnes, a guard from Scottsdale Christian Academy outside Phoenix, gave Liberty a verbal commitment in March.

“It took us all by surprise,” said Bob Fredericks, Barnes’ high school coach.

Fredericks said he didn’t want to speak for Barnes, but said Barnes told him his family would have to “think it through” in regards to the verbal. The first day of the spring signing period is April 15.

McKay had also secured verbals from Ovie Soko — of Hampton’s Bethel High School — and Chris Perez, of Oldsmar Christian in Florida.

Joel Vander Pol signed a national letter of intent in November to join Liberty’s program.

McKay’s departure is another blow for a Liberty program already reeling from the loss of leading scorer Seth Curry, who eight days ago announced his intentions to transfer. Sunday, Curry said he was transferring to Duke.

Barber acknowledged that the moves — which happened so close together — would lead to questions about what is going on within the Liberty program.

“Am I concerned about the perception?” Barber said. “Yes, I am. Is it justified? I don’t believe it is. I just left the team, and they feel very positive about the future.

“Seth, well, he did transfer to Duke. Then Ritchie is leaving too, on the heels of that. So it does look like there is a reason outside of what we all see. I don’t believe there is. It’s just separate type of circumstances that happened at the same time.

“But I believe that this program is healthier than it has ever been. I believe the right coach will come forth and we’ll just take it to a whole ‘nother level.”

Barber leaves today for Detroit, where he’ll attend the Final Four, a gathering ground for coaches and administrators all over Division I basketball. In the meantime, Soucie and assistant coaches Jason Eaker and Kyle Getter will continue to work with the players still on campus.

Barber didn’t offer a concrete timeline on hiring a new coach.

Said Barber: “I know there’s going to be great interest because of the quality of the program Ritchie has left behind. I think we’ll see a higher quality of coaches than we’ve ever seen before, simply because of the job that Ritchie and his staff have done of building and getting it to this level.”