As Coach McKay prepares for his 4th season as Liberty’s head coach, he’s doing so with a new look staff. Assistants Kyle Getter and Vic Sfera and director of player development Marcus Conrad left for greener pastures during the off-season. They were replaced by Derek Johnston, Kevin Anderson, and Joe Pierre III.

This type of turnover is not uncommon in college basketball, particularly at the low to mid-major level. Coaches always seek to build their resumes, and typically do so by moving on to Power 5 positions as the opportunities present themselves.

That makes this next statement virtually unheard of in the coaching profession:

Brad Soucie has been on Coach McKay’s staff for every single year of his 17 seasons as a head coach.

Add in the 6 seasons they spent in Charlottesville on Tony Bennett’s staff at Virginia, and Soucie and McKay have been on the same sideline for the past 23 years.

“He’s like a brother to me,” McKay said of Soucie. “It’s great having him. He knows me as well as anyone. He knows when I’m really bothered even though I put on a mask that I’m not. He knows when I’m getting out of balance – too much career and not enough family. He knows when I’m struggling or wrestling with a decision. He knows me like a brother. I would not be where I am without having Brad Soucie in my life.”

A series of events led both Soucie and McKay to Seattle, Washington, where they would meet through a mutual friend, Corwin Anthony, a former NFL player now with Athletes in Action. McKay was on staff at Washington while Soucie had received a promotion and was moved to Seattle with the business he was working for at the time.

“We connected, went to lunch,” McKay recalled. “He forgot his wallet. So, I knew what I was in for.”

Their relationship grew over the coming months through video games and pickup basketball. Their wives instantly connected as well.

“We were playing video games one night, I asked Brad if he would ever be interested in coaching.”

“I didn’t have any desire to be in college coaching,” said Soucie. “I didn’t know what it was. So, I said no.”

A few weeks went by, and McKay was offered his first head coaching job at Portland State. He would be reviving a program which had been dormant for 15 years, and he needed help. He called Soucie and offered him the job. Soucie balked at the idea initially.

“Then, I sought some advice from some business mentors of mine,” Soucie said. “They encouraged me, and God just changed my heart.”

They spent their first year at Portland State with only 2 players as they prepared for their first season the following year. The two coaches played 2-on-2 against those guys every day while building their relationship.

“At the beginning of our friendship, we fought like cats and dogs,” McKay said of those early days. “Every 2-on-2 game was a fight, it was a battle. We were both highly competitive, I mean highly competitive. It would always end in a fight, but once we left the court, we were like the best of friends.”

Two years each at Portland State, Colorado State, and Oregon State, were followed by 6 seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance at New Mexico. Through all those stops, Soucie has always been by McKay’s side. Their path landed them at Liberty in 2007. After 2 seasons on the sidelines in Lynchburg, a different opportunity presented itself as McKay’s good friend Tony Bennett got the job just up highway 29 at Virginia. Bennett wanted McKay to join him as an assistant, something McKay hadn’t been in 15 years.

“I told Tony I couldn’t go unless Brad had a position too, and Tony honored that request and Brad got a pay raise. That’s just how little I want to do life without him.”

McKay and Soucie both look back on their time at UVA fondly.

“It was a great time,” Soucie exclaimed. “I wouldn’t trade those 6 years for anything. It was good for both us because we were both in positions that we hadn’t been in in a while. It was a learning curve for both of us, but Coach Bennett is an amazing coach and we were able to learn a ton from that. I’m a much better person and coach as a result of those 6 years.”

“One of the things that made me a good assistant at Virginia was the example that Brad has given me when I was a head coach along the way,” McKay said.

When the time came for McKay to return to Liberty as head coach, there was no hesitation when he turned to Brad to head back down 29 to Lynchburg. And that’s where they’ve been the past 3 years as they enter their 24th season on the same staff. This summer McKay promoted his longtime friend to Associate Head Coach.

“He’s always kind of been the Associate Head Coach in position, just not in title,” McKay explained. “I’ve never really thought it was important. Then, when I got to Virginia, I see the importance in that. Having had Kyle Getter on our staff, and having a pretty good relationship with him as well, I just didn’t want that to be a competition. I probably waited a little longer than I probably should have to name him Associate. He has such humility, he’s never been into the title.”

Certainly through all those years, twists, and turns, Coach Soucie had his opportunity to go elsewhere, but he has always stayed an assistant under McKay.

“It’s just been God’s plan,” said Soucie. “When things come up, you always take it before God, and He’s just guided our steps and kept us together in the same place. It’s really not anything that I’ve done, that’s just been what His plan has been so far.”

“It helps that our wives are (this close),” McKay said. “Our kids have grown up together. We’ve known each other’s children since the day they were born. It’s a unique friendship, and I don’t know if it will always be like this. He’s turned down some opportunities in the past. I don’t think he’s sensed that the time was right for him and his family.”

Regardless of how much longer they remain on the same sideline, they will always be friends.

“It’s been a great friendship,” Soucie said. “(He’s a) great Godly man. It’s been a lot of fun doing something that I didn’t know I wanted to do.”

McKay agrees. “His impact in my life, not just professionally, but personally, spiritually, emotionally, it’s been a phenomenal positive. I’m not just saying this, but I consider him a brother. He’s one of my family.”