"You can't coach"

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

Last night, JV game. We got our press clicking in the second quarter and ran off a bunch of points in a row. The opposing coach was getting frustrated and taking it out on one official in particular. After he called a shooting foul on one of her players, she said something that set him off. He didn't issue a T, but came over to her and had a conversation that lasted about 30 seconds. I heard both "you can't coach" and "you are the worst coach I've seen."

Granted, I couldn't hear every word. And some of the coach's shouted comments from earlier were T-worthy. But I still couldn't believe what he said.

At the half, as the officials were getting their jackets, the opposing V coach was there (benches were first row of bleachers, right next to table) and she said something that caused him to get his whistle out of his pocket, blow it, and issue a T on her. After he left, she told us she said "that was the most unprofessionial thing I've ever heard a ref say."

On top of it all, after starting the 3rd quarter with two FTs, we got the ball but he said the arrow (pointing our way) should change, and he allowed the opposing coach to retain her coaching box privileges.

There was another confrontation AFTER the game (as the handshake lines were forming), as he came up to her with his whistle out, trying to hand it to her. Secondhand, I heard he said something like "you want to ref?" and she said something like "get out of my face, don't talk to me."

I've been coaching for 11 years, and he has been a JV ref the whole time. Dozens of newer officials have moved past him into the varsity ranks, and last night I think I saw why. I'm not absolving the opposing coaches from blame in any way. But that piece of officiating was the worst I've ever seen.