Bob McKinley grew up watching his brother Chuck. That was enough. 

At nine years old he picked up a racket. Chuck was already a star. By the time Bob was thirteen, Chuck had won Wimbledon. Bob wanted what Chuck had. He just had to figure out how to get there without being Chuck. 

For a long time, Bob liked being known as Chuck's brother. 

"I reveled in it," he said. "But eventually it became a burden. It got to be a little old when they said, 'Oh yeah, Bobby McKinley, that's Chuck's younger brother.'" 

When it came time to choose a college, Bob had an offer from Rice. But Chuck asked him for a favor. Take a visit to Trinity. See Clarence Mabry. You don't have to go, just take the visit. 

Bob took the visit. 

"I fell in love with the place," he said. "Fell in love with Clarence." 

He was a four-time All-American, captain for three of his four years, and played number three on the 1972 championship team that went 36-0. They didn't just capture the NCAA title. They owned it. Four of the final eight players in the tournament were Trinity Tigers. The championship match came down to two of them, Dick Stockton and Brian Gottfried. 

Much of Bob's success came from his partnership with Dick Stockton. They had played together as kids in St. Louis. Neither of them imagined they'd end up as doubles partners at Trinity. Together they reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open and were ranked number two in the country. They both knew they were good enough to win it all. They never did. 

After Trinity, Bob turned pro. He reached number 50 in the world and played centre court at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He was getting better. The guys he was beating were making it into the top ten. 

Then Clarence Mabry called. 

Mabry was retiring. He wanted Bob to take his place at Trinity. Bob said yes. 

"I won't say I have a regret," he said. "I just wonder what could have been." 

Bob served as head coach at Trinity from 1975 to 1984, compiling a record of 219 wins and 57 losses. He took his teams to the NCAA championship match twice and was named Coach of the Year in 1979. Seven of his players earned All-American honors. 

He started out as Chuck's brother. Somewhere along the way he became Bob McKinley. 

(1996)