33rd annual bob mcKie Bearcat relays

March 28, 2026

BOB McKIE

Today’s relays are named in honor of one of Southern California’s most accomplished high school track and field coaches, Bob McKie. Nobody had a better working knowledge of each and every event in track and field than Bob. After graduating from Coast Union High School, Bob finished his education at the Redlands University. In 1964 Bob became the head track and field coach at Villa Park High School in Orange County. He quickly turned the Spartans into one of the state’s top high school track programs. During Coach McKie’s twenty-year tenure as head coach at Villa Park, his teams won nine league titles. Bob was one of a rare breed of coaches who could teach all the events in track and field. He composed a book on track with a chapter on each event. If he had a specialty it was the pole vault. In 1975 he had not one but two vaulters exceed sixteen feet. They were the top two vaulters in the nation that year!

When Bob retired from full time teaching, he and his wife, Marion, picked Paso Robles as their new place of residence. How fortunate for the Bearcats. Coach McKie quickly became involved with the track program at Paso Robles High School, coaching the vault. Again, his athletes went on to win numerous league titles. Bob McKie passed away in 2004. Although his passing was a great loss to his family and our school, his memory and the lives he touched will forever live on in the “Bob McKie Bearcat Relays”.