[Sly Fox]

McKay finds a home and success at Liberty

Friday, Feb 13, 2009
By Joshua Cooley

LYNCHBURG, Va. (BP)--Thud.

The careening van came to an abrupt stop. Shaken, Ritchie McKay gingerly opened the backseat door and assessed the situation.

He and three other college basketball coaches were heading to an Athletes in Action clinic during a missions trip to Kibera, Kenya, last summer when the driver, a man named Dominic, attempted some Formula One moves in a rickety van. The vehicle swerved recklessly through a roundabout at nearly 50 mph, swinging up on two wheels and barely missing an oncoming truck before slamming into an embankment.

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[olldflame]

AMAZING article. EVERYONE...do yourself a favor, click the link, and READ THE WHOLE THING!! Several things in there I didn't know, like Danny Granger personally calling JB to recommend Richie for the LU job.

I thought this quote was interesting:

"McKay led last year’s Flames, a historical doormat program in the Big South Conference, to a 16-16 record. And this year’s team is a legitimate threat to win the league tournament."

If they checked a little deeper in our history, they would see that was not totally accurate, but you can understand why it was written.

The stuff about the events leading to his demise at New Mexico is fascinating.

[Kolzilla41]

AMAZING article. EVERYONE...do yourself a favor, click the link, and READ THE WHOLE THING!! Several things in there I didn't know, like Danny Granger personally calling JB to recommend Richie for the LU job.

I thought this quote was interesting:

"McKay led last year’s Flames, a historical doormat program in the Big South Conference, to a 16-16 record. And this year’s team is a legitimate threat to win the league tournament."

If they checked a little deeper in our history, they would see that was not totally accurate, but you can understand why it was written.

The stuff about the events leading to his demise at New Mexico is fascinating.

+1

[Cider Jim]

Gosh, it hurts to read that...

McKay led last year’s Flames, a historical doormat program in the Big South Conference, to a 16-16 record...Liberty, for many years, typified the term “low mid-major.” In 21 years of Division I basketball, the Flames have reached the NCAA tournament only twice – in 1994 and 2004. This year marks only their second winning season since 1997.

[jcmanson]

I was going to start a new thread about this, but it fits perfectly here. Coach said last night that "our program is healthy." Maybe it's just me, but it is REALLY refreshing to hear that.

[rogers3]

Gosh, it hurts to read that...

McKay led last year’s Flames, a historical doormat program in the Big South Conference, to a 16-16 record...Liberty, for many years, typified the term “low mid-major.” In 21 years of Division I basketball, the Flames have reached the NCAA tournament only twice – in 1994 and 2004. This year marks only their second winning season since 1997.

Did Realist send in that "fact?"

[phoenix]

Baptist Press hasn't been hitting on much when it comes to fact checking and context lately, guys.

[olldflame]

Gosh, it hurts to read that...

McKay led last year’s Flames, a historical doormat program in the Big South Conference, to a 16-16 record...Liberty, for many years, typified the term “low mid-major.” In 21 years of Division I basketball, the Flames have reached the NCAA tournament only twice – in 1994 and 2004. This year marks only their second winning season since 1997.

Did Realist send in that "fact?"

Actually, that would have been a fairly accurate description of Winthrop's program pre-Marshall, and it fits ours fairly well post-Meyer (til now). Please don't tell me about 2004. That was a .500 team that got on a roll in the conference tourney.

[jcmanson]

We were 12-4 in conference that year. A better conference record than we have now. That team didn't do much of anything outside of league play, but that was typical for RD's teams.

[olldflame]

We were 12-4 in conference that year. A better conference record than we have now. That team didn't do much of anything outside of league play, but that was typical for RD's teams.

OK checkers

Yes, they were pretty good in conference, but they were still only a game over .500 for the year going into the tourney. The preconference schedule that team played was perhaps a shade tougher than this year, but not by much, and unlike this years team, they were not even competetive in most of their "money games". It was a decent year that became a great one thanks to 3 magic days in March.

[Hold My Own]

Lets not do this guys, this thread is going to be about RM...hopefully this year or next he'll bring a Championship which will only be our 3rd in which JM and RD both brought us...without a doubt though RM will take us to new heights

[olldflame]

You're right HMO.

The things Richie says in that article and the way things have played out certainly point away from earlier speculation of his using LU as a "stepping stone" to get back into a more prestigeous job. Sounds like he is fed up with the secular rat race, happy as a clam here, and wants to take our program to higher heights.

[jcmanson]

Maybe we can start a thread on the 2004 team....in the offseason.

[flames1971]

I was going to start a new thread about this, but it fits perfectly here. Coach said last night that "our program is healthy." Maybe it's just me, but it is REALLY refreshing to hear that.

Yes it is....I was getting SICK of Liberty losing all of the stinkin time!!!!!