Liberty MBB Hires Gumbs as Athletic Performance Coach
10/16/2026 1:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Liberty Men's Basketball program has announced the hiring of Keenan Gumbs as its Athletic Performance Coach.
Gumbs returns to Lynchburg after playing for the Flames during the 2018-19 season. Most recently, Gumbs served as the Men's Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach at Butler. Prior to that, he served in the same role for the UAB men's basketball program for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons and as an Assistant Strength Coach for Kentucky Men's Basketball in 2023-24.
"Keenan Gumbs is an absolute home run. To get him back in our locker room on our campus as a part of our university is a blessing for us," said Liberty Men's Basketball Head Coach Ritchie McKay. "His light shines brightly before men, and his level of expertise, discipline and dedication will definitely have a continued great impact in our strength and conditioning program."
Gumbs played in all 36 games for Liberty during the 2018-19 season as a graduate student, as Liberty won the ASUN Championship and went on to advance to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Round of 32. As a senior at Schreiner University, Gumbs was named the 2018 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Player of the Year, he was also named to the NABC All-America third team and the CoSIDA Academic All-America third team in 2018.
Gumbs earned his master's degree in Exercise Science (Human Performance) from Liberty University in 2019. He is a 2018 graduate of Schreiner University. Gumbs holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification from the NSCA.
"Liberty University is unlike any place in the world! As a former player here, it's special to have the opportunity to return as a coach," Gumbs said. "We have the privilege to boldly proclaim the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and I'm looking forward to honoring Him through my service to these athletes and this program. The Mountain has called me back, and I'm humbled to be trusted by Coach McKay to lead the physical development of this program."
Gumbs and his wife Marabeth, who is also a Liberty alum and Lynchburg native, met here on campus in the library. They are expecting their first child in the new year.
Gumbs has had the opportunity to work with and assist in developing NBA lottery picks Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, along with Yaxel Lendeborg. Additionally, he has helped develop all-conference players AJ Vasquez and Chance Westry.
Gumbs played four seasons of professional basketball internationally, competing in Hungary (for DEAC in Hungarian A Division), the Czech Republic (for BK Opava of the Czech NBL), Sweden (for KFUM Nassjo of Svenska Baksetligan) and Austria (for the Kapfenberg Bulls of the Austrian Superleague).
Gumbs returns to Lynchburg after playing for the Flames during the 2018-19 season. Most recently, Gumbs served as the Men's Basketball Strength and Conditioning Coach at Butler. Prior to that, he served in the same role for the UAB men's basketball program for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons and as an Assistant Strength Coach for Kentucky Men's Basketball in 2023-24.
"Keenan Gumbs is an absolute home run. To get him back in our locker room on our campus as a part of our university is a blessing for us," said Liberty Men's Basketball Head Coach Ritchie McKay. "His light shines brightly before men, and his level of expertise, discipline and dedication will definitely have a continued great impact in our strength and conditioning program."
Gumbs played in all 36 games for Liberty during the 2018-19 season as a graduate student, as Liberty won the ASUN Championship and went on to advance to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Round of 32. As a senior at Schreiner University, Gumbs was named the 2018 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Player of the Year, he was also named to the NABC All-America third team and the CoSIDA Academic All-America third team in 2018.
Gumbs earned his master's degree in Exercise Science (Human Performance) from Liberty University in 2019. He is a 2018 graduate of Schreiner University. Gumbs holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification from the NSCA.
"Liberty University is unlike any place in the world! As a former player here, it's special to have the opportunity to return as a coach," Gumbs said. "We have the privilege to boldly proclaim the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and I'm looking forward to honoring Him through my service to these athletes and this program. The Mountain has called me back, and I'm humbled to be trusted by Coach McKay to lead the physical development of this program."
Gumbs and his wife Marabeth, who is also a Liberty alum and Lynchburg native, met here on campus in the library. They are expecting their first child in the new year.
Gumbs has had the opportunity to work with and assist in developing NBA lottery picks Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, along with Yaxel Lendeborg. Additionally, he has helped develop all-conference players AJ Vasquez and Chance Westry.
Gumbs played four seasons of professional basketball internationally, competing in Hungary (for DEAC in Hungarian A Division), the Czech Republic (for BK Opava of the Czech NBL), Sweden (for KFUM Nassjo of Svenska Baksetligan) and Austria (for the Kapfenberg Bulls of the Austrian Superleague).
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