Head coach Ritchie McKay and the Liberty Flames men’s basketball team have hired Derek Johnston as an assistant coach. Johnston replaces Vic Sfera who left earlier this offseason to take an assistant coach position at Charlotte.

Johnston comes to Liberty after spending the past 4 seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Alabama-Huntsville. He helped guide the Chargers to the Division II NCAA Tournament in 3 of his 4 seasons. Johnston’s coaching career also includes an assistant coaching stop for two years at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, guiding them to a Division III Elite 8 appearance in 2013 and the national championship game in 2014. He also had a hand in helping to recruit the 2014 D3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year Duncan Robinson, who later transferred to Michigan. Johnston began his coaching career at Lexington high School in Lexington, Alabama.