The family of longtime Weatherford College basketball coach Bob McKinley says the school betrayed him with an abrupt termination this week, ending the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Famer’s decades‑long tenure without warning. 

His relatives are urging the college’s Board of Trustees and administration to rescind the decision and allow McKinley to retire with dignity.

During his 48-year coaching career, McKinley amassed 1,043 wins, became the winningest NJCAA Division I basketball coach in the nation, and earned induction into the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

“How do you let go of one of the most decorated, kindhearted, and fiercely loyal employees ever to serve your institution?” McKinley’s daughter‑in‑law, Rochelle, said in a social media message. “… He has been quite literally a cornerstone of the college’s success over the last five decades.”

In the post, she said Weatherford College officials cited the team’s 15–11 record – at the time — as the reason for his termination. 

“How can that possibly outweigh a lifetime of contributions?” Rochelle McKinley said.

Claims of broken assurances

She said the decision came before the season ended, contradicting earlier assurances that he could coach as long as he wished. Less than a year ago, she said, Weatherford College named him Athletic Director Emeritus, promising he could keep his office and retire on his own timeline.

She said the termination also jeopardizes educational benefits for his granddaughter, Evelyn, who is enrolled in the college’s radiology program. McKinley had planned to retire next year, after Evelyn’s graduation, honoring a promise he made following the death of his daughter, Traci.

Family describes decision as a betrayal

His family describes the decision as a betrayal, given his decades of loyalty, service, and impact on generations of students and athletes. 

“How could this administration… promise he could coach as long as he desired, only to blindside him with a termination letter?” she said. “… It is a profound disgrace to exploit someone’s legacy for institutional gain over decades, only to betray him in the end.”

Call for community support

She also shared the names of members of the Board of Trustees and administrators as part of an effort to mobilize community support for the longtime coach. 

“Thank you for standing with the McKinley family and for helping preserve the true spirit of Weatherford College,” Rochelle McKinley said.

CBS News Texas has reached out to Weatherford College and multiple officials for comment and has not heard back.

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