Director of Athletics Ian McCaw

Ian McCaw has a vision for Liberty Athletics, and he has worked quickly to make that vision a reality since being named the department’s 11th director of athletics on Nov. 28, 2016. His vision is for Liberty’s intercollegiate athletics program to Train Champions for Christ, provide a world-class student-athlete experience, and achieve victory with integrity. McCaw has lived out this mission, guiding Liberty Athletics to unparalleled success on the field, in the classroom, and in the local community in a short time on Liberty Mountain. Heading into the 2020-21 athletics season, Liberty’s teams have captured 26 total conference titles since McCaw’s arrival on Liberty Mountain. The Flames Football program won it’s first-ever bowl game, men’s basketball captured it’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, and Liberty studentathletes have posted department record numbers in GPA and graduation success rate. Less than three months into his time at the head of the Athletics Department, McCaw helped launch Liberty to the top level of intercollegiate competition. On Feb. 16, 2017, Liberty received notification that the NCAA had approved its request to enter into a two-year Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) reclassification process. McCaw led Liberty during its final season as a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) independent in 2017 and guided the Flames into their first season at the FBS level in 2018 — fulfilling the vision of university founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, for Liberty’s Athletics programs to compete at the highest level of NCAA competition. During Liberty’s final two seasons as a member of the Big South Conference, McCaw guided Liberty Athletics to its 13th and 14th Sasser Cup titles in 2017 and 2018, an annual award given to the top athletics program in the conference. McCaw also helped pave the way for the future of Liberty Athletics on May 17, 2018, when it was announced that 17 of the 20 NCAA Division I programs would end a 27-year run in the Big South Conference to join the ASUN Conference for the 2018-19 athletics season. Under McCaw’s leadership, Liberty Athletics wasted little time making an impact in the ASUN Conference. During its inaugural season as a conference member, Liberty’s Athletics programs captured seven ASUN championship titles, including men’s basketball (regular season and tournament), baseball (tournament), women’s tennis (regular season), men’s indoor track & field, women’s indoor track & field, men’s outdoor track & field, and women’s outdoor track & field. Additionally, Liberty Athletics was awarded the Bill Bibb Trophy, which is presented to the ASUN Conference institution with the top overall athletics program. Liberty was also presented with the ASUN Conference’s Jesse Fletcher (Men’s All-Sports) and Sherman Day (Women’s All-Sports) Trophies. This marked the third time in conference history a member institution has swept all three honors and the first time since FGCU did so in 2012-13.