[thepostman]

I don't know much about the pre-dunton days...but it seems to me that jeff meyer had the best track record of any of our coaches as far as results...but I don't have any idea what the story is on him and why he left liberty...

[Th3rd]

I don't know much about the pre-dunton days...but it seems to me that jeff meyer had the best track record of any of our coaches as far as results...but I don't have any idea what the story is on him and why he left liberty...

this is the most i could tell you on him

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Meyer_(basketball_coach (wikipedia is your friend haha)

Previously, he served as head coach at Liberty University where he remains the winningest coach in school history. He was named head coach of the then Liberty Baptist College on March 25, 1981. He stepped down as head coach to become assistant to the president of Liberty on November 1, 1997.

[olldflame]

The versions of why Jeff left LU vary wildly. I will try to be as objective as I can. It was at a time when the athletic program was on shaky financial ground, and the decision-making process involved people it normally wouldn't. We had just hosted the BSC tourney 3 consecutive years and failed to win it, with one more year on the contract. Some people were apparently embarrased by this, and supposedly an "ultimatum" was given to Meyer to win on the 4th attempt or he would not be retained. Problem was that multiple players had just been suspended for disciplinary and academic reasons (again, opinions vary greatly on who was to blame). What would have been the most talented team in LU history was robbed of most of it's size and athleticism, but left with a core group of Seniors led by Jackson, Sorenson and Reed, along with a couple of nice freshmen and a couple of role players. Jeff balked at the "ultimatum" because he didn't think it was realistic with the players he had left. I believe he had a year left on his contract, and he worked that year as a "special assistant to the president"; mostly fund raising from what I heard.

Dunton jumped at the chance to be interum coach, and I thought did a pretty good job under the circumstances, but finished 11-17, and was knocked out in the semis of the tourney. The search comittee, which if I recall was headed up by Mark DeMoss, initially didn't even offer RD an interview, and ultimatly hired Hanky, which may speak as to how effective committees are. After serving out his year in the president's office, Meyer went on to be Gregg Marshall's right hand man, and played a huge role in building the dynasty which has had the BSC under it's thumb lo these many years now.

[Bigsouthking]

Oldflame that is as about as acturate as anyone could ever tell the story!

[LUconn]

Seems like a strange ending to a semi-successful coach who seems to have been in demand ever since.

[Cider Jim]

The only interesting thing that Olldflame left out was that the day Hanky was hired, the News & Advance went with a story about another coach that was hired, but they got it wrong: Hanky was hired instead! Man, I wish I still had a copy of that headline!

[Bigsouthking]

News and Advance thought Jim Platt was getting the job, which I think LU did offer but he turned down maybe because of his wife didn't like Lynchburg was the rumor. A year or so later he takes Charleston Southern.

[SuperJon]

Nick Pierce recently caught up with Liberty Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dale Layer to reflect on the 2009-10 season. The topics discussed include:

- Persevering through the tough non-conference stretch to start the season

- The maturation of the freshmen on the roster

- The up-and-down win-loss trend throughout the season

- Saying farewell to Kyle Ohman

- Status of redshirt senior Tyler Baker

- Emergence of Evan Gordon, Antwan Burrus, Patrick Konan and Chris Perez

- Expectations heading into next season

- Being competitive on the road in Big South play

Click here to see the video

[vthokies20]

Dunton jumped at the chance to be interum coach, and I thought did a pretty good job under the circumstances, but finished 11-17, and was knocked out in the semis of the tourney. [/quote]

Most thought Meyer quit on his team two weeks into practice...RD didn't quit and pull off an unbelievable win at UVA and 4th place BSC finish with a shortened squad of athletes.

[vthokies20]

Here's my favorite part of checker's rant: "And Greg Marshall is getting our 7 foot Nigerian."


Ehimem Orupke was signed by LU in November of 2006 as a result of the efforts of our then assistant, Dominic Okun. After the coaching change, Marshall hired Okun on his staff specifically to try to follow up and bring Orupke to Wichita State. 3 years later, he finally saw the basketball court on US soil, not at Wichita State, but at 3 Rivers Community College. He is averaging 5.6 points and 5.9 rebounds this year along with an impressive 3.6 blocks. He signed to play at Wichita State last November, and should be eligible to play there this fall, 4 years after he originally signed, that is of course if the stress fracture which caused him to miss several games this year doesn't turn out to be a Tyler Baker situation. I find it hilarious (and more than a little condescending) that he is referred to as "our Nigerian".

It's just typical though of the spin and selective use of facts that he uses to portray his friend Randy as being some kind of coaching messiah. Everything bad that has happened in the last 3 years would have been all better had RD been there. Orukpe would have magically been approved in a flash by the NCAA clearinghouse to come to play for Randy as opposed to Greg. BJ would have suddenly fit in at LU and stayed. Brew would no longer need money for his family, TeeJay Banister would be granted a 6th and 7th year of eligibility by the NCAA and Armon Jones and Soup Campbell would miraculously turn into D1 basketball players.

I am not an RD hater, I am a Liberty basketball fan. Have been since 1974, when Dan Manley was our coach and Eddie Gomes was our point guard. I was ambivilant when RD was hired in 2002. I was esctatic when he coached us to a championship in 04, and I was increasingly disappointed over the next 3 years by the lack of stability and continuity I saw, and the first round losses in the tournament. I was never one who called for him to be cut loose though, and had mixed feelings about his contract not being renewed. I did however, support the fact that it was JBs call to make, and I trusted he had his reasons, some of which were clear at the time and some not so clear.

Yes the Big South is a one bid league. That bid goes to the tournament champion. Theoretically, good seedings earned in the conference regular season would be important, but when you lose to lower seeds they don't mean much. The one thing consistent in the arguments of the RD fan club are references to the regular season standings of his teams in the BSC. When you look at the overall picture you see why, because with the single exception of 03-04 his teams had losing overall records and did not advance in the tournament. BTW, checkers, I am happy to see that you have recovered from your amnesia, and now remember the 05-06 season actually happened.

Put things in context. In 2005 Brian Woodson, Harry Williams and Glyn Turner were all injured. If woodson was healthy we were favored to repeat. 2006 RD took a hit to clear some things out. it happens. 2007 they lose by one to VMI, not by 50+ as RMK, btw Reggie Williams is an NBA player now and the twins were pretty good. They go on to beat HPU by 11 at HPU and lose by 3 on the last shot to the #22 ranked Winthrop Eagles. LU needed a pt guard and got Teejay. Great answer.

Now tell me that RD is not going to roll with the 2008 roster or that RD, Sherard, Zack and Okon is not going to have more talent on the floor than we do now. As for the 7' i trust RD when he says Eroupe is a better prospect than Aluma and Nwosu. Different coaches get things out of players look at how Sneed played for RD. BJ calls RD all the time just last week when I was with him in the Brookville gym...BJ wanted an equal opportunity not to play second fiddle with a coach and teammate who would bolt anyway. He is dancing, 1st team all OVC and you are masquerading a program JB sent in the wrong direction.

[LUconn]

Well, that settles it. Randy didn't do a single thing wrong. It can all be spun into something that is not his fault.

[Th3rd]

Here's my favorite part of checker's rant: "And Greg Marshall is getting our 7 foot Nigerian."


Ehimem Orupke was signed by LU in November of 2006 as a result of the efforts of our then assistant, Dominic Okun. After the coaching change, Marshall hired Okun on his staff specifically to try to follow up and bring Orupke to Wichita State. 3 years later, he finally saw the basketball court on US soil, not at Wichita State, but at 3 Rivers Community College. He is averaging 5.6 points and 5.9 rebounds this year along with an impressive 3.6 blocks. He signed to play at Wichita State last November, and should be eligible to play there this fall, 4 years after he originally signed, that is of course if the stress fracture which caused him to miss several games this year doesn't turn out to be a Tyler Baker situation. I find it hilarious (and more than a little condescending) that he is referred to as "our Nigerian".

It's just typical though of the spin and selective use of facts that he uses to portray his friend Randy as being some kind of coaching messiah. Everything bad that has happened in the last 3 years would have been all better had RD been there. Orukpe would have magically been approved in a flash by the NCAA clearinghouse to come to play for Randy as opposed to Greg. BJ would have suddenly fit in at LU and stayed. Brew would no longer need money for his family, TeeJay Banister would be granted a 6th and 7th year of eligibility by the NCAA and Armon Jones and Soup Campbell would miraculously turn into D1 basketball players.

I am not an RD hater, I am a Liberty basketball fan. Have been since 1974, when Dan Manley was our coach and Eddie Gomes was our point guard. I was ambivilant when RD was hired in 2002. I was esctatic when he coached us to a championship in 04, and I was increasingly disappointed over the next 3 years by the lack of stability and continuity I saw, and the first round losses in the tournament. I was never one who called for him to be cut loose though, and had mixed feelings about his contract not being renewed. I did however, support the fact that it was JBs call to make, and I trusted he had his reasons, some of which were clear at the time and some not so clear.

Yes the Big South is a one bid league. That bid goes to the tournament champion. Theoretically, good seedings earned in the conference regular season would be important, but when you lose to lower seeds they don't mean much. The one thing consistent in the arguments of the RD fan club are references to the regular season standings of his teams in the BSC. When you look at the overall picture you see why, because with the single exception of 03-04 his teams had losing overall records and did not advance in the tournament. BTW, checkers, I am happy to see that you have recovered from your amnesia, and now remember the 05-06 season actually happened.

Put things in context. In 2005 Brian Woodson, Harry Williams and Glyn Turner were all injured. If woodson was healthy we were favored to repeat. 2006 RD took a hit to clear some things out. it happens. 2007 they lose by one to VMI, not by 50+ as RMK, btw Reggie Williams is an NBA player now and the twins were pretty good. They go on to beat HPU by 11 at HPU and lose by 3 on the last shot to the #22 ranked Winthrop Eagles. LU needed a pt guard and got Teejay. Great answer.

Now tell me that RD is not going to roll with the 2008 roster or that RD, Sherard, Zack and Okon is not going to have more talent on the floor than we do now. As for the 7' i trust RD when he says Eroupe is a better prospect than Aluma and Nwosu. Different coaches get things out of players look at how Sneed played for RD. BJ calls RD all the time just last week when I was with him in the Brookville gym...BJ wanted an equal opportunity not to play second fiddle with a coach and teammate who would bolt anyway. He is dancing, 1st team all OVC and you are masquerading a program JB sent in the wrong direction.

you are out of your mind if you think that they would have more talent on the floor then what we are getting next year. Even with out the Curry Kid we still have more talent then was on that team. I mean I realize they were a bunch of talented guys, but none of those guys are playing NBA or NBDL or anything like that, the team for next year could have a couple guys do that at some point. And talent doesn't win championships, ask the Lakers when they had Shaq, Kobe, The Mailman, and Gary Payton... hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

I don't care how talented a guy is, if he is not willing to work hard then he will not be great... he will be good, but never great..... just my 2 cents

[Th3rd]

http://www.bbstate.com/schools/LIB/history

the RD era has exactly 1 season with an RPI below 200.... now i dont know about you but normally the basis of a good coach is not a guy whose average RPI was in the 200's

but you are right RD did nothing wrong coaching wise to earn himself getting fired, i mean everything bad can be blamed on someone else

[olldflame]

Well, that settles it. Randy didn't do a single thing wrong. It can all be spun into something that is not his fault.

You have pretty much put in one sentence everything that checkers has ever posted on this board.

[vthokies20]

Well, that settles it. Randy didn't do a single thing wrong. It can all be spun into something that is not his fault.

You have pretty much put in one sentence everything that checkers has ever posted on this board.

Here it comes again the great black cloud...

I am sure like all of us RD is not perfect, however he had EARNED a contract extension. From where we were to where he took us, be real. Now we talk about how hard kids play to finish 4,3,6. RD's didn't play hard? get serious.

A good coach is one who gets his team ready to be successful in the conference and the team improves throughout the year so it finishes the year playing its best basketball. Again there has NEVER been a better five year run on BSC finishes than 2,1,2,3.

Let's see what 2010-2011 brings...sounds like a top 2 finish.

[vthokies20]

Here's my favorite part of checker's rant: "And Greg Marshall is getting our 7 foot Nigerian."


Ehimem Orupke was signed by LU in November of 2006 as a result of the efforts of our then assistant, Dominic Okun. After the coaching change, Marshall hired Okun on his staff specifically to try to follow up and bring Orupke to Wichita State. 3 years later, he finally saw the basketball court on US soil, not at Wichita State, but at 3 Rivers Community College. He is averaging 5.6 points and 5.9 rebounds this year along with an impressive 3.6 blocks. He signed to play at Wichita State last November, and should be eligible to play there this fall, 4 years after he originally signed, that is of course if the stress fracture which caused him to miss several games this year doesn't turn out to be a Tyler Baker situation. I find it hilarious (and more than a little condescending) that he is referred to as "our Nigerian".

It's just typical though of the spin and selective use of facts that he uses to portray his friend Randy as being some kind of coaching messiah. Everything bad that has happened in the last 3 years would have been all better had RD been there. Orukpe would have magically been approved in a flash by the NCAA clearinghouse to come to play for Randy as opposed to Greg. BJ would have suddenly fit in at LU and stayed. Brew would no longer need money for his family, TeeJay Banister would be granted a 6th and 7th year of eligibility by the NCAA and Armon Jones and Soup Campbell would miraculously turn into D1 basketball players.

I am not an RD hater, I am a Liberty basketball fan. Have been since 1974, when Dan Manley was our coach and Eddie Gomes was our point guard. I was ambivilant when RD was hired in 2002. I was esctatic when he coached us to a championship in 04, and I was increasingly disappointed over the next 3 years by the lack of stability and continuity I saw, and the first round losses in the tournament. I was never one who called for him to be cut loose though, and had mixed feelings about his contract not being renewed. I did however, support the fact that it was JBs call to make, and I trusted he had his reasons, some of which were clear at the time and some not so clear.

Yes the Big South is a one bid league. That bid goes to the tournament champion. Theoretically, good seedings earned in the conference regular season would be important, but when you lose to lower seeds they don't mean much. The one thing consistent in the arguments of the RD fan club are references to the regular season standings of his teams in the BSC. When you look at the overall picture you see why, because with the single exception of 03-04 his teams had losing overall records and did not advance in the tournament. BTW, checkers, I am happy to see that you have recovered from your amnesia, and now remember the 05-06 season actually happened.

Put things in context. In 2005 Brian Woodson, Harry Williams and Glyn Turner were all injured. If woodson was healthy we were favored to repeat. 2006 RD took a hit to clear some things out. it happens. 2007 they lose by one to VMI, not by 50+ as RMK, btw Reggie Williams is an NBA player now and the twins were pretty good. They go on to beat HPU by 11 at HPU and lose by 3 on the last shot to the #22 ranked Winthrop Eagles. LU needed a pt guard and got Teejay. Great answer.

Now tell me that RD is not going to roll with the 2008 roster or that RD, Sherard, Zack and Okon is not going to have more talent on the floor than we do now. As for the 7' i trust RD when he says Eroupe is a better prospect than Aluma and Nwosu. Different coaches get things out of players look at how Sneed played for RD. BJ calls RD all the time just last week when I was with him in the Brookville gym...BJ wanted an equal opportunity not to play second fiddle with a coach and teammate who would bolt anyway. He is dancing, 1st team all OVC and you are masquerading a program JB sent in the wrong direction.

you are out of your mind if you think that they would have more talent on the floor then what we are getting next year. Even with out the Curry Kid we still have more talent then was on that team. I mean I realize they were a bunch of talented guys, but none of those guys are playing NBA or NBDL or anything like that, the team for next year could have a couple guys do that at some point. And talent doesn't win championships, ask the Lakers when they had Shaq, Kobe, The Mailman, and Gary Payton... hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

I don't care how talented a guy is, if he is not willing to work hard then he will not be great... he will be good, but never great..... just my 2 cents

your out of your mind if you think the talent is comparable...we had serious athletic ball players.
Hopefully the young guys get alot better as we lose the last connection to RD roster in 2nd team all league Ohman.

[thepostman]

honest question...if they always ended the year playing their best basketball under RD then why weren't there at least more then 1 appearance in the conference championship game???

I know your opinion won't change, if it hasn't changed even a little bit in 3 years why would it change now...thats fine...I get it...but try to come up with a better argument.

If after 5 years here DL ends up having the same results as RD did and makes quick exits in the conference tourney then I would want to look elsewhere for a coach as well...

for me it was never personal for agreeing with RD's contract not being renewed...for me it was about end results...and his end results in the post season were not anything to be proud of after his initial success...

[olldflame]

More revisionist history by checkers................... giving RD credit for Kyle Ohman becoming an all conference player at LU. He wasn't recruited. He came to LU on his own dime and played intermurals. He tried out and made the team as a walkon, but saw almost no PT in the year he played under RD. He became a key reserve, and then a starter under RMK and was given a scholarship, and then was named an all-conference player under Layer. Thanks Randy. We owe it all to you.

Oh yeah. And the 05-06 season conveniently disappeared again. (8th place checkers)

[LUconn]

come on old, that wasn't his fault. He took a hit to clear some things out. It happens.

[vthokies20]

honest question...if they always ended the year playing their best basketball under RD then why weren't there at least more then 1 appearance in the conference championship game???

I know your opinion won't change, if it hasn't changed even a little bit in 3 years why would it change now...thats fine...I get it...but try to come up with a better argument.

If after 5 years here DL ends up having the same results as RD did and makes quick exits in the conference tourney then I would want to look elsewhere for a coach as well...

for me it was never personal for agreeing with RD's contract not being renewed...for me it was about end results...and his end results in the post season were not anything to be proud of after his initial success...

If we were looking at a depleted roster than he should have been evaluated on that, but the man had assembled arguably the best roster in the history of the program! Plus they still had a scholarship(s) for the April signing. JB was and still living in a fantasy world with how tough the BSC was. Winthrop was not in a playin game. Reggie Williams(NBA), Arizona Reid, Terrell Martin, Craig Bradshaw, KJ Garland, Smithson, Big Kenny, Leasure. RD had been committed to LU and certainly did enough to get an extension of some terms, plus again we should be able to expect integrity out of our athletic administrator.

Thanks Luconn for bringing some "common D1 sense" to flicker.

[Old School]

Wow....Coach Dunton is still a conversation piece after the past few years....and then throw in a few comments about Coach Meyer. At least you've given Coach McKay a breather for a while. Can you people get over Meyer and Dunton, please. Both are good men who did the best they could for Liberty basketball while they were here....but they are GONE and Coach Layer IS here and deserves our respect and support.

[olldflame]

I hear you Old School, but just FYI, almost without exception these "discussions" begin with a certain someone taking a swipe at our AD for the decision on Dunton. I suppose we could ignore him, but it's not the nature of the board.

[WinterIsComing]

First Post. Love Liberty, '09 Grad. Still in the area, so I go to alot of the games, mostly Basketball, Football, Hockey, and Baseball, but occasionaly Soccer too. I know a few of you and a few of you know me. I went to alot of the home games and watched others on TV and these are my thoughts on this 09-10 season...

The negative:

Kyle was hurting for part of the season and even when he wasn't the opponents D locked him down pretty well. That's not to say that he didn't have a good season, just that with the loss of Curry the opposing D only had one scorer to focus on, and that just so happened to be Kyle.

Jesse regressed. Sorry, but that's the truth. I saw no improvement in his north-south ball handling (he's still decent east-west), nor in his shooting. He looked scared and tentative to shoot the ball anywhere except when at the free throw line.

Carter is, well, Carter. When he wasn't looking dopey with his mini-me-birdman head running around the court with his head cut off, he was fumbling balls off his legs and calling for fouls when a guard breathed on him in the post. He must have had one too many ear infections as a kid 'cause he looked off balanced and had poor hand eye coordination. Poor fundamentals, poor execution.

Jeremy can't play D, he's a step (or five) too slow. And his awkwardness also shows on the offense end because he has a hard time even properly running the half-court offense. Poor fundamentals, poor execution.

Stephene is one of the fastest guys I've ever seen...it's just too bad he doesn't know how to use it on the court.

The positive:

Layer coached and willed this team to a near .500 record with a ton of youth (some with talent; Gordon, Perez), no recruits of his own, no quality post players (though Burris looked good at time and has some potential) and all the off-season stuff working against him. It's clear though that if we want to improve quickly, we need to cut about half this roster (something Liberty in the past has balked at), and let Layer bring in his own kids with the extra schollys. Otherwise, we'll have to wait three or four years before Layer can really put HIS team on the floor. It's only when we start winning championships again that we will really be able to move forward from all the RD and RMK stuff, because, as they say, winning cures all.

[ToTheLeft]

Good post, a couple of things I see differently...

Agree on Kyle.

Agree on Jesse at the start of the year. His last game or two he became a different player. He's getting more confidence in his shot, and if he can shoot 35% from 3 (asking a lot) and continue to drive and get to the line and shoot 75% or better from the line, he'll be a player of the year candidate in a year or two. He's tough, scrappy, creative, and if he can keep attacking the basket and creating, he'll keep getting better.

Carter needs to get his mind into things, and he'll be fine. I think he's easily taken off his game, because when he goes out and fights for things, he plays WELL. Screens well, gets open, plays good D in the middle, grabs boards with authority. But then he'll get knocked off his game and he'll look lost.

Jeremy actually plays great D, but he is slow. His on-ball D is great. He just gets beat in a zone by athletic wings and guards. If he's man to man on any guard in the Big South, I feel good about the matchup. He locked down Barbour if I remember correctly. Offensively he's a waste of a man on the floor if he continues to not actively look for his shot, or if he keeps missing them. When he comes off a handoff, dribbles backwards, and picks the ball up, all he is is a waste of 10 seconds. When he gets the ball off a handoff, steps up, and shoots, that's good offense for him, and we need more of that.

Agree on JS.

Dale did have recruits of his own. He recruited most of these guys, he or Eaker, so it's not like he was given a bunch of random players. Antwan was his recruit 100%, I think one or two other guys were that way, too. I think we're close to having "Dale's Team" on the floor. There's no question he's a good coach, other than ODU/Clemson we had no bad performances back-to-back. He gets the team ready to go. I think we over-performed this year relative to our talent. If we bring in more talent this or next year, or if JVP/Chris/JCS/Baird or whoever else wind up being solid talent, we'll be very good.

[LUconn]

It's clear though that if we want to improve quickly, we need to cut about half this roster (something Liberty in the past has balked at), and let Layer bring in his own kids with the extra schollys. Otherwise, we'll have to wait three or four years before Layer can really put HIS team on the floor.

I disagree with a lot of what you said, but this idea here wouldn't work, even if that was the answer. These kids not graduating would result in massive scholarship loss and probably banishment from the postseason for a while since we already have a problem with kids transferring and not graduating.