Liberty University has come under some scrutiny recently amid the outbreak of COVID-19. President Jerry Falwell, Jr. has been criticized for allowing students to return to campus following spring break. On Monday, Liberty head football coach Hugh Freeze was asked his opinion of the way the university has responded.
“I think President Falwell certainly has evaluated the fact that we’ve got a lot of students that have nowhere to go,” Freeze said. “I don’t see that we’ve done anything differently than any other university. We’re online, our students had the option if they didn’t have a place they felt they could go, like our international students and others, they felt like this was the safest place for them to be to get food and support and a place to live. I don’t want to tell them they can’t do that. Someone has to explain to me how we’re different than any other university that is doing the same things.”
Reports surfaced last week that over 1,000 students had return to Liberty’s campus. Some came back to clean out their dorm rooms while others are staying in the dorms. Liberty signs post throughout campus to remind everyone of the social distancing requirements and also urging those without official business to stay off campus.
“Certainly, when I’m on campus right now, it’s a ghost town,” Freeze continued. “I know there are signs everywhere about no more than 10, I know they are practicing that in the food lines and the one cafeteria they have opened right now to feed anyone that needs food. Other universities may have told their students they have to leave, I don’t know that. I’m glad that we didn’t do that. Not for anybody to be around each other, but I certainly don’t want to tell students who couldn’t go back to their home land or their country that they have to leave.”
Over the weekend, the New York Times published a story claiming that Liberty students began to get sick after students returned to campus from spring break. Liberty has refuted many of their claims.
“Those decisions are never easy and as a leader you’re going to take criticism one way or another,” Freeze stated in response to how President Falwell has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. “Leaders are controversial in general. People are either going to like you or not like you, and they’re either going to want to tear you down or build you up. I know that he has all of his people here, their interests at the best of heart and certainly the students which they are our customers.”
Freeze was hired by Falwell and athletic director Ian McCaw in December 2018 to help shepherd the Flames’ football program into the FBS ranks. Freeze led Liberty to its first ever bowl game and bowl victory in 2019 when the Flames’ defeated Georgia Southern in the Cure Bowl.
“I really don’t notice that,” Freeze said when a comment was made of Falwell’s tendency to be controversial. “He’s been so supportive of football. The vision he’s had here and what he’s done to foresee things for the future, to build this place to what it is.”
