ABOUT BOB

Bob McCollister has spent his life fighting for Lawrence County, as a teacher, a coach, and a father.

He grew up throwing a football around on Crowe Ridge with his dad, a Navy vet who worked at the Malleable. His mother went to night school at Marshall, and taught high school art for 25 years. Bob met his wife Faye when she was a senior at Dawson Bryant, and he was a freshman at Ohio State. Now, she teaches third grade at Rock Hill. They have three kids and two grandkids.

Since 1988, Bob taught high school social studies at Rock Hill, too, and coached varsity football for 24 years. In the classroom, on the field, and in countless driveways and living rooms, he got to know the kids and families of this county at their highest and lowest moments, learning from their courage and trying to help them reach their dreams.

Over the years, though, he saw class sizes shrink, factories close, families struggle with addiction, and former students and players move away. Sometimes, he walks the spot where his dad and hundreds of other steel workers for decades built car parts for Detroit; now, it’s an open field.

We’ve all felt the decline across our county. But there comes a time when you can sit back and watch things get worse, or go all in to make a difference. It's that time.

Bob knows what Lawrence County and its kids are capable of, and knows the power of having someone believe in their big dreams. He wants to keep fighting for them - for 21st century jobs, for strong schools, for healthy families with hope - and he knows that by pulling together, we can all build a better future right here.