[ChuckElias]

Just my opinion, obviously, but if I know the coaches, then I don't mind being called by my first name. My HS "board" works a fairly limited area and so I know most all of the boys coaches, and they all know me. I get along well with almost all of them. It seems unnecessarily artificial for them to call me "sir" or "ref". Also, in a HS game, if I know both coaches, I don't mind addressing them by name either. We all know each other, and we all know that I'm not giving Coach A a break by calling him "Billy". If we get a team from out of the area, then I will not be familiar with the local coach, b/c I think that would give a bad impression.

On the other hand, it does bother me when I walk into a college gym for the first time and the coach starts yelling at me, using my name. I don't like it, but that's what happens.