Coaches who are also Officials

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I have a slightly different perspective regarding a Head Coach who is also a registered basketball official. So please bear with my comments.

I graduated from high school in 1969 and became an OhioHSAA registered basketball official in 1971. I immediately joined the Trumbull Co. Bkb. Off. Assn. and have been a member of the TCBOA ever since even the four years I attended college in Miami and the two years years I lived in Glendale, California.

My high school basketball coach was an OhioHSAA registered basketball official from 1948 (while he was attending Youngstown State University) until 1971. He was the boys' VAR basketball coach at my high school from 1951 to 1971, during which his teams were state runner-up once, regional champions once, district champions three times, sectional champions 17 times, and league champions 15 times (I played on two of those league and sectional championship teams).

Of all of his players (including his two sons and me) people always picked me to most likely become a basketball coach. And yet I was the only one of all his players that put on the striped shirt. He was a founding member of the TCBOA in 1948 and he was the reason I became a basketball official.

He was always asked why he, a basketball coach, was also a registered basketball official, and his response was always the same: "How can you teach someone how to play the game if you do not know the rules."

His best example of his philosophy was guarding and screening. Three times a season the FR, JV, and VAR teams would practice together and the whole practice was dedicated to learning how to guard and screen per the rule book. If one were to have sat in the stands one would have thought that he was watching a basketball officiating camp. He taught players how to guard and screen right out of the rule book. He would read the pertinent section of the rule book and then have us guard and screen per the rule book.

I can honestly tell people that the guarding and screening rules as well as the traveling rules have not changed for over 50 years because I have been able to literally quote chapter and verse since I was a FR in high school.

We are required to officiate the game as if the players and the coaches know the rules. I have always officiated that way because I had a coach that taught us to know the rules and to play per the rules.

MTD, Sr.

[Adam]

6th grade travel ball (MAYB) a couple of years ago. First game, I oversaw the replacement of both the dads at the table because they couldn't stop fighting with each other.

Last game, close contested game, and team down by a few late decides to start fouling. Defender walks right up to the kid with the ball, puts two hands in his chest and shoves. Easy X.

After the game (travel league, so my bag was at the table) the coach starts telling me I shouldn't have called that at that point in the game. Some dad walks up, proceeds to tell me he works college ball, and that it was the wrong call.

I tuned them all out at that point, changed my shoes, and walked out. At least that's how I remember it.

[ODog]

ANY time a coach I don't know feels the need to bring up his officiating credentials, it elicits one of two responses from me:

1.) If it's before the game, I nod politely and note him as a potential problem child with a short leash.
2.) If it's in the heat of battle and he begins a sentence with "I'm an official and ..." I stop him right there and say, "I'm sure somebody lets you ref games somewhere, but you're no official."

Anyone in general who claims to be an official (coach, parent, fan) as an opener to arguing with the officials is an embarrassment to the profession and a total clown.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by ODog

Anyone in general who claims to be an official (coach, parent, fan) as an opener to arguing with the officials is an embarrassment to the profession and a total clown.

Exactly! Which was why these two experiences were so surprising to me. . . I kept thinking that of all people, THEY should know better.