Liberty Univ. yesterday announced the hiring of former Baylor AD Ian McCaw to the same position, a "heavy-hitter replacement" for Jeff Barber, who resigned earlier this month, according to Damien Sordelett of the Lynchburg NEWS & ADVANCE. Baylor won four national championships and more than 50 Big 12 championships during McCaw’s 13-year stint, but his tenure "ended unceremoniously" with a resignation in May "amid sexual assault scandals that rocked the Baylor football program." McCaw was "sanctioned and placed on probation" prior to his resignation. Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. said he did his "due diligence" by looking into McCaw’s track record at Baylor. He said that the Baylor BOR "did not find McCaw culpable, and he could have kept his job." Falwell: "He was a good man in a place where bad things were going on and decided to remove himself from that atmosphere" (Lynchburg NEWS & ADVANCE, 11/29). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Rebecca Davis O'Brien notes Liberty's official release "didn't address the circumstances of McCaw's departure from Baylor" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/29).
TURNING A BLIND EYE? USA TODAY's Chris Korman writes under the header, "Liberty's Statement After Hiring Ex-Baylor AD Tainted By Scandal Is Unfathomably Tone-Deaf." All that "really matters" is that McCaw "knows how to run a successful, money-making football program." That is the "true measure" of an AD. For Liberty to "not so much as acknowledge how things ended for McCaw at Baylor is unconscionable, but not surprising." Korman: "Would it really dim boosters’ excitement to include a quote from McCaw about learning difficult lessons? Or of him promising to do better this time around?" (USATODAY.com, 11/28).
SHOCKING NEWS: Reaction to the hire on Twitter was overwhelmingly negative. CBS' Armen Keteyian: "This Ian McCaw hire at Liberty is an affront to every woman on that campus. As far as I can see he did nothing to protect victims at Baylor." Houston Chronicle's Jenny Dial Creech: "Everything about this is disgusting. Liberty University should be ashamed not only of this hire but of the way the school is praising McCaw." SNY's Taylor Rooks: "Saddens me to see Ian Mccaw back in college athletics. Sends the message that 'we can ignore sexual assault, if you can help us win.'" Sports Illustrated Senior Editor Mike Harris: "Hey @LibertyU - does 'incredibly excited' mean 'thrilled to have found a place stupid enough to hire me given my mess at Baylor?' #forshame." SEC Country's Jason Kersey: "How Ian McCaw and Art Briles are even remotely employable in college athletics at any level is totally beyond me." Orangebloods.com's Geoff Ketchum: "Had a buddy that once started at point guard for Liberty. Lost his scholarship for drinking in the dorms. Today, Liberty hired Ian McCaw." A rare positive comment came from the Lynchburg News & Advance's Damien Sordelett: "Everyone I have talked to from Baylor had nothing but good things to say about Ian McCaw. Said Liberty made a tremendous hire."
