BEDFORD, Va. – The Liberty Minutemen are determined to turn the page after a difficult stretch, entering the 2025 season with hopes of ending a 37-game losing streak that dates back to 2021.
There are signs of progress. Participation numbers have improved to the point where Liberty expects to field a junior varsity team for the first time in nearly three years. But the program also faced a late-summer shakeup when head coach Darryl Robertson left for a position at Roanoke College.
In his place, longtime assistant Brad Womack has stepped in as interim head coach, focusing on building the program from the ground up.
“What we really focus on is… great teams do everything great,” Womack said. “We want to stretch great, have a great locker room, great communication skills, great assignment knowledge. If we can fix all those things, I think the results will show up on the field.”
Players share the belief that a win could help spark momentum.
“I really took it as an incentive — if we win this, everybody’s going to be proud, everybody’s going to want to come out,” senior Aiden Cottrell said. “Hopefully get more [players]. So, been working harder, trying harder, and going real well.”
Senior Caanan Thompson echoed that sentiment. “If we do get a win, it’ll help bring people out more for the coming years… because they’re playing for a team that’s won, instead of one that hasn’t in a while,” he said.
Liberty returns nine to 10 starters and plans to be multiple on offense, showing different looks. Defensively, the Minutemen are installing a hybrid scheme combining elements of a 5-2 and 4-2-5.
They open the season at home Aug. 29 against William Campbell.