- March 26th, 2007, 1:00 pm
#72550
Men's basketball: Touch of N.M. follows McKay
By Jeremy Fowler (Contact)
Monday, March 26, 2007
Two years ago, Ritchie McKay and Tyler Baker were toting heavy credentials in Albuquerque.
Baker led Temple Baptist to the 2005 Class 1A basketball championship in The Pit. McKay, the former University of New Mexico coach who was fired Feb. 22, won a Mountain West Conference championship in his only marketable season with the Lobos.
The two collide in Lynchburg, Va., where McKay has accepted the Liberty University job out of the Big South Conference.
McKay's successor, former Iowa coach Steve Alford, officially took over as Lobos coach Friday.
Baker is a sophomore at Liberty, where he scored 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season.
Baker calls the pairing with McKay "ironic," considering he and his close friend, UNM forward Daniel Faris, were high school seniors working out with McKay's Lobos teams.
"I'm excited he's here," the 6-foot-9 Baker said. "From everything I've heard about him from Daniel, I have a lot of respect for him. I don't know how he runs a program, but we're ready to see how it goes."
McKay hasn't returned phone messages from The Tribune this week. He replaces Randy Dunton, who led the Flames to a 14-17 record last season.
Just months ago, McKay was roaming the UNM practice facility that Alford now oversees. The first-year Lobos coach watched his 10 UNM players in a Saturday workout. The Tribune requested an interview with Alford, but it was unsuccessful.
Baker said McKay met with his new team Sunday night. Former Lobos assistant Brad Soucie, who is joining McKay at Liberty, was also present.
The Mountain is scheduled to broadcast Liberty's news conference at 7 p.m. announcing McKay's hiring, according to Vanguard Communications.
"He didn't say much when he met with us," Baker said. "He seems really happy to be here. He didn't get much into philosophy or anything like that."
Baker isn't the only New Mexico connection McKay will find with his new job. Winthrop, a Big South opponent, is coached by Gregg Marshall, who appeared to be UNM's backup plan if the Alford deal fell through.
Liberty is a Baptist school, which could help McKay, an outspoken Christian, adapt smoothly.
"It's a good fit," said Janet Baker, Tyler's mother. "He's a really good Christian man at a good Christian school. How he'll coach there? We'll see. The Lord keeps improving us all the time. But I know he teaches character first, and he'll be preparing young men for life."
Janet Baker's son hit an impressive 92.6 percent of his free throws last season. He also shot 39.5 percent from the 3-point line.
but that just makes me even more ticked about Tyler being a no show for the last 2 minutes of the VMI BSC Tournament game. 
Why wasn't he in the game????
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