FORT WORTH - As you may recall, our university shared news last week of the passing of Robert Wayne Cornett, who is known to generations of Rams as Bobby Cornett, or simply "Coach." Bobby died on August 14, 2026, at his home in Arlington, surrounded by the love of his family. He was 75.

His Celebration of Life will be Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Andrews Hall, Martin University Center. Dress is golf attire. A reception will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial gifts be directed to the Devlin Center, the Bobby Cornett '72 Endowment, or split between the two. The Devlin Center will be a new on-campus golf and community programs facility featuring a state-of-the-art indoor practice area named in Coach Cornett's honor, along with exhibits celebrating the history of Wesleyan Golf and the legacy of O.D. Bounds. The Cornett Endowment provides scholarship support for the Men's and Women's Golf programs.

Bobby was a beloved husband and father. He was also one of the most revered figures in the history of Texas Wesleyan Golf. Born November 13, 1950, in Chillicothe, Missouri, to Mary and Wayne Cornett, he grew up in Irving, Texas, alongside his brothers Charles and Carl. It was Coach O.D. Bounds who recruited Bobby to play golf at Texas Wesleyan, launching a lifelong bond with this university that would span more than five decades. As a collegiate golfer, he helped lead the Rams to four Big State Conference Championships, played on the 1969 championship team, and earned NAIA All-American and Big State Conference individual medalist honors in 1972.

After graduating, Bobby spent eight years as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Dallas County before pursuing a career in professional golf, where he won multiple tournaments and reached the finals of PGA Tour School five times and Senior PGA Tour School twice. In 1985, he returned to Texas Wesleyan as an assistant to Coach Bounds, later becoming head coach himself. Apart from a brief stint on the Senior Tour, he devoted the rest of his career to Texas Wesleyan, where his teams won 90 tournaments and four National Championships, and he was named NAIA National Coach of the Year four times. Bobby was inducted into the Texas Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame, the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame, and the NAIA Hall of Fame.  For those who knew him best, he will be remembered for the friendships he built with colleagues, students, and players, and for the wisdom, humor, and honesty he brought to every conversation.

Beyond golf, Bobby was instrumental in bringing the collegiate Table Tennis program to Texas Wesleyan and helped host tournaments on campus, reaching a career-high USATT rating of 2097. He also loved tinkering on his '74 Ford truck, which was the very vehicle he once drove to professional golf tournaments.  He also loved driving his truck to estate sales with his wife, Denny, always finding a way to turn something discarded into something useful, including through the eight rental houses they maintained together over the years.

Bobby passed away after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer, which included Whipple surgery and an extended course of chemotherapy and radiation. He is survived by his wife, Denny, and their son, Austin, along with nieces, nephews, and sister-in-law Leta Malone.

Please join us in holding Denny, Austin, and the entire Cornett family in your thoughts during this time.