McKinley reaches 1,000 wins  

Weatherford College women’s basketball coachBob McKinley celebrates his 1,000 wins with members of the Lady Coyote players.

Bob McKinley, Weatherford College’s longtime athletic director and women’s basketball coach, reached the 1,000 wins plateau as the Lady Coyotes defeated Paris Junior College Friday night at the Betty Jo Graber Athletic Center, 89-84. 

McKinley is one of only five coaches in the history of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) to reach 1,000 victories in men’s or women’s basketball. He is also the winningest active NJCAA Division I basketball coach in the nation. 

“The first thing I thought of is all of the special people that I’ve had play and the memories that it brings back,” he said a few minutes after the final buzzer Friday. “Tonight, this is got to be the most special time ever.” 

As of Friday, McKinley has a career record of 1,000 wins and 522 losses since joining the WC coaching staff in 1977. He is a member of the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and is a 12-time Coach of the Year awardee from the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference. 

Weatherford College women’s basketball coachBob McKinley celebrates his 1,000 wins with members of the Lady Coyote players.

Under McKinley, the Lady Coyotes have earned 16 conference championships, five regional championships, five national tournament appearances and one NJCAA Final Four appearance. 20 NJCAA All-America honorees have played for the WC coach. 

The college community will honor McKinley with a reception on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the Emerging Technologies and Workforce Building. The public is invited.