THIS had never happened . . . until now!

[amusedofficial]

I'm sure the OP is honest, hardworking and a great official.

But the system his association uses stinks.

Anytime coaches exert any kind of influence over who works tournament or prestige games, there is a cloud over all officials in every game.

These two coaches may have played each other twice during the season, and gotten a look at their preferred coaches in a head to head tilt. But I doubt it. More likely, the teams didn't play during the season, or if they did it wasn't necessarily with the same officials. So a lot of the coach's impression is based on the official's work in games featuring a contending team against non-contenders.

If coaches can influence who works their games, then the coach of a contender makes a recommendation based, in major part, on the official's performance in games against a non-contenders, it leads to allegations that officials working such games are trying to get in good with the contending coach to get tournament games.

It stinks to high heaven. Let coaches coach, let officials ref and let evaluators evaluate.