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THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED


During his interview process at Liberty University, Ritchie McKay attended convocation. There were nearly 8,000 students in attendance celebrating life. McKay knew he had found his coaching home.

“There couldn’t be a better fit then Liberty,” says McKay. “I was blown away by the quality of the people, the vision and the passion. This is home.”

Liberty is McKay’s fifth home in less then a decade. After reestablishing the Portland State program (1995-96), which had been dormant since the early 1980s, McKay left to take over at Colorado State. After two seasons at CSU McKay spent the next two seasons at Oregon State before moving on to New Mexico.

His critics were quick to point out that McKay was more interested in becoming one of the elite coaches, rather then being focused on the job at hand. Lost was the fact that McKay didn’t inherit great situations. And he left each situation better then he found it.

Still, McKay admits that he wasn’t nearly as focused, as he should have been. A decade later he has grown and matured as a coach.

“As a young coach I spent a lot of time trying to move and manipulate my way to the top,” says McKay. “It took time and different experiences for me to essentially grow up. I no longer aspire for the same things I wanted when I was a young coach. I have learned a lot in the past ten years and it’s brought me to where I am today. This is an ideal situation for me.”

Given his abilities as a coach and his Christian faith, the Liberty basketball program is indeed a perfect fit for the 41-year old McKay. But five years ago McKay thought he had found his dream job in Albuquerque.

His five seasons at New Mexico were highlighted by 26-7 season in 2005, which was the second highest win total in school history. That season also marked the program’s first NCAA appearance in six seasons and the first conference championship since 1996.

“I really thought that was my dream job,” says McKay. “It’s where my dad played his college basketball. It was where I grew up. It was the place I watched the Lobos play as kid. I thought that was as good as it gets.”

In five years he posted a mark of 82-69, which many believed was a failure. That’s important to note because during that same period John Pelphrey had a record of 80-67.

One gets fired while the other gets the Arkansas job.

There is a perception that McKay has not been successful. But that’s not reality.

In two his two seasons at Colorado State McKay posted a 37-23 record. In 1999 the Rams participated in the postseason NIT where they defeated Mississippi State and in-state rival Colorado, before losing to eventual NIT Tournament champion California. In his second year, the first year of play for CSU in the Mountain West Conference, the Rams finished 18-12 record.

After the initial season at Portland State, McKay was named one of six finalists for the Clair Bee Award, given annually to the coach with the most influence and innovation in the game of basketball. In his second season, with a program that had not existed just twelve months earlier, the Vikings finished with 15-12 mark and a third-place finish in the Big Sky Conference.

More important to McKay then what he has accomplished on the court is what he learned along the way. Each stop on his coaching journey has better prepared him to be the seventh head coach in the history of Liberty basketball.

Some may view his dismissal from New Mexico and the subsequent hiring at Liberty as being a step down. McKay sees it as the culmination of a long journey. Leaving New Mexico provided him the opportunity to coach at a place where he can be himself.

“I feel like I have been unleashed,” says McKay. “It’s exciting to be at a place where everyone shares the same mission and conviction.”

McKay has never beat anyone over the head with a bible, but he has also never apologized for his beliefs. Nor should he. Now he has the opportunity to coach in an environment that embraces those convictions.

The result may be a sleeping giant.

“The potential for sustained success is here,” says McKay. “It will take a lot of hard work to even think about being able to enjoy some of the success that Winthrop has accomplished, but that is the program that us and everyone else in the Big South is chasing right now. I really believe that we can build this program into a perennial winner.”

Had things gone differently McKay probably would have spent the remainder of his coaching days in Albuquerque. While there are no guarantees it’s a good bet that he will watch his children grow up in Lynchburg, VA.

In McKay’s mind it’s almost as if everything he had done previously was nothing more then preparation for this assignment, even if it wasn’t the most direct route.

“God can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think,” says McKay.

McKay will enjoy a lot of coaching and personal success at Liberty.