Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw met with several members of the media last week. Here are some of the topics he discussed.
Putting together a gameplan
Once the COVID-19 pandemic began to make its impact felt across the United States, Liberty’s athletic department went to work developing a gameplan for the program and student-athletes.
“We made our top priority to be the safety and welfare of our student athletes and staff,” said McCaw. “That’s been paramount and really the forefront of all the decisions we’ve made.”
“The second thing we’ve tried to do is provide very clear communication with our coaches and staff.”
The athletic department has been able to provide that communication through a multitude of technology including email updates and virtual meetings.
“The third thing that we really focused on is impressing upon our coaches and staff how important it is to regularly check in with the student-athletes. On their academics, on their health – both physical health, mental health – and just overall well being our student-athletes.”
Academics are a big concern for student-athletes
Amid the lockdown across the country and among higher education institutions among the COVID-19 pandemic, academics are near the top of the list of concerns administrators have for their student-athletes.
“The number one concern of ADs was academics,” McCaw said, referencing a recent survey conducted. “Kristie Beitz and her staff have been very intentional about communicating with our student-athletes, in some cases, daily, but certainly even more frequently than when they’re here. It’s easy for our student-athletes to get distracted and sleepin and play video games or do something that is not helping them advance the ball academically.”
McCaw says there about 175 student-athletes in total in Lynchburg, the majority of them are back in their home towns.
“They’ve done a terrific job and our coaches have been very involved in that as well. Just making sure they have the academic support that they need to be successful, that is a huge concern and something that we worked really hard at here the last few weeks.”
AGG should be drafted later this month
McCaw is excited to see where Liberty wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden ends up later this month in the NFL Draft.
“Antonio is such a great representative of Liberty,” McCaw said. “Obviously he had a great career. It’s exciting. He is projected right now to be the highest drafted Liberty football player since 1990. That says quite a lot.”
Liberty hasn’t seen any taken before the 4th round in the NFL Draft since 1990 when Eric Green was selected in the first round. Most projects currently have AGG being taken somewhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds.
“It’s a great credit to our football program,” he continued. “Coach Freeze and (WR coach) Maurice Harris did a wonderful job working with him and developing him further this year. We’re eager to see where he lands.”
Track & Field moves forward after Tolsma
Longtime Liberty Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Brant Tolsma announced earlier this year he would retire following the spring season. Unfortunately, that spring season came quicker than we anticipated.
“What a legacy he has left that track & field program,” McCaw said. “We’re going to miss him a great deal.”
Tolsma wrapped up his Liberty coaching career with 116 conference championships and 78 coach of the year awards. Just this week he was named the VaSID University Division Men’s Indoor Track & Field State Coach of the Year.
Lance Bingham, who served as an assistant under Tolsma for 18 seasons, is returning to take over the programs beginning with the 2020-21 season.
“He will be a great addition to our coaching staff,” McCaw said of Bingham. “He’s very familiar with our institution. He will be a tremendous asset to our program.”
Tolsma was one of the main advisors McCaw and his staff turned to when looking for his replacement.
“When you have someone who is a legend like Coach Tolsma is, you’re going to take their advice and hold it in the highest regard, and that’s what we did.”
