Local Coach Dies after Suffering Heart Attack

UPSHUR COUNTY — New Diana coach Keith McKinley, who had been hospitalized in Dallas after suffering a heart attack on March 29, died on Tuesday. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, New Diana head football coach and athletic director Brett Ratliff confirmed McKinley’s death. McKinley, who coached football, basketball and baseball at New Diana, collapsed due to a heart-related ailment and was flown to a Dallas hospital. He was 40. McKinley was at New Diana for two years. He was the special teams coordinator in football and the first assistant in both basketball and baseball. McKinley was previously the head baseball coach and defensive coordinator at Ore City. He is survived by his wife, Nikki, and three children.