After leading the Liberty Flames to a school-record 29 victories this season, and an NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time since 2013, head coach Ritchie McKay on Friday was named the 2018-19 recipient of the Jim Phelan Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I coach.
>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<
Not only did Liberty reach the Big Dance, the No. 12 seed upset fifth-seeded Mississippi State in the first round, the university’s first NCAA Tournament win.
McKay has guided Liberty to three straight seasons of 20 wins or more, and a 265-212 overall record with the school. He just finished the fourth season of his second stint at Liberty, which is one of the largest Christian universities in the world. The Christ-centered culture on campus is what attracts many of its students — and its coaches, such as McKay.
“I’ve always been unashamed of who I am in Christ,” McKay said on a recent episode of the Sports Spectrum Podcast.
And after Thursday, McKay is set to stay at Liberty for a long time. He signed a multi-year contract extension that will keep him in Lynchburg, Va., through the 2024-25 season.
The Jim Phelan award is named in honor of the legendary Mount Saint Mary’s University coach, who coached for 49 years and won 830 games, including the 1962 NCAA Men’s Division II championship. The award committee is a 30-member panel made up of current and former D-I head coaches, athletic directors, conference administrators, members of the national media, and CollegeInsider.com staff members. Past award recipients include Bob Huggins of West Virginia, John Calipari when he was at Memphis, Tony Bennett when he was at Washington State, and Tubby Smith when he was at Kentucky.
RELATED STORIES:
— Liberty upsets Mississippi State to secure university’s 1st NCAA Tournament victory
— NEW PODCAST: Ritchie McKay, Liberty Men’s Basketball Coach
— Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver feels God is with him while leading Red Raiders to Final Four
— Michigan State’s Joshua Langford leads through his faith while sidelined with injury
— Virginia guard Kyle Guy relying on his faith in the Lord as he leads Cavaliers to Final Four
— Virginia coach Tony Bennett follows father’s faith-filled footsteps into Final Four
— Auburn, head coach Bruce Pearl ‘put the Lord first’ as team competes in NCAA Tournament
— Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams led heartfelt locker room prayer over seniors after final game
