NEW CUMBERLAND – Oak Glen High School came into existence in 1963. It owns the distinction of being West Virginia’s northern-most high school.

The Golden Bears’ athletic history has experienced its share of success during that time. The founding father of Oak Glen athletics died Saturday.

Robert “Bob” Starkey passed away in Shepherdstown, W. Va. The former Shepherd College basketball coaching legend was 84. Funeral services are scheduled this afternoon in Harpers Ferry.

After graduating Shepherd in 1958, Starkey embarked on a coaching career that spanned more than 50 years. He cut his coaching and teaching teeth at Weir High.

It is there where Starkey struck up a friendship with Vince Monseau, a Red Rider and West Liberty standout athlete. That relationship help to provide a foundation for Monseau’s remarkable coaching career.

Starkey assisted Jim Carey in football at Weir for five years. Starkey also established a powerful Red Rider track program during that time.

When Carey retired, the Hancock County Board of Education gave the football job to Carl Fodor. That led Starkey to move on to fledgling Oak Glen High, becoming the school’s inaugural head coach in football, basketball and track.

“Coach Starkey built a great track program at Weir. Back then, football coaches would take their teams to an isolated camp for two weeks before the season. Coach Carey took the Weir varsity to West Liberty. Coach Starkey stayed behind to work with the rest of the players, maybe 40 or so,” Dr. Monseau said. “I was a West Liberty football player at that time. Some of my teammates and myself would work out at Weir in the summer. Coach Starkey asked us to help him coach one day since he had so many kids. It went well that first day and he asked us to come back. I was the only one to return.

“He told me that if he ever got a head coaching job, I would be the first coach he hired. He was a man of his word. When he got the Oak Glen job, he hired me as his top football assistant,” he added. “He also coached basketball and track while I started the school’s wrestling program. Coach Starkey was a tremendous help to me and my career. He was a great coach. His track teams were very successful even though they had to practice in the school’s parking lot. We had no track.”

Starkey left Oak Glen to become head men’s basketball coach at his alma mater – Shepherd College. He guided the Rams for 20 successful years. He finished his career as Shepherd’s all-time winningest coach with a 360-205 record.

His 1975-76 Rams posted a 33-3 mark and were NCAA III regional champions. Starkey’s teams posted nine seasons of 20 wins or more.

He served as the college’s athletic director from 1976-80. The Shepherd administration dedicated The Robert G. Starkey Skybox and Academic Support Center in his honor this past November.

While an athlete at Shepherd, he starred in football, swimming and baseball.

Starkey was a U.S. Air Force veteran, serving in the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Lynda, daughter, Sandie Grantham, and son, Randy.

BUBBA’S BITS

Toronto High School is in the market for head boys’ and girls’ basketball coaches.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to former Weirton Madonna boys’ basketball coach George Vargo who went through some major medical issues this past week. The current Franciscan University coach is doing fine after major surgery. George is a great coach and even nicer man.

It was shocking, to say the least, when we got word Wednesday morning that John Howell had died. The OVAC basketball commissioner battled health issues for some time, but appeared to be doing well. John was a super basketball official in his day and a great ambassador for the OVAC. He was also a dynamite softball player in years past. I was fortunate to be one of his teammates. We send our prayers and condolences to his family.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com