Article - Coaches on the Floor

[grunewar]

NCAA Tournament: Why Won't College-Basketball Coaches Stay Off the Court? - WSJ.com

[Zoochy]

I did a similar act as Jason Kidd. Instead of adjusting my path down the court as I am officiating. I ran into a Coach standing on the court. Automatic Technical Foul.

[tmagan]

In the 1992 regional between UMASS and Kentucky, Lenny Wirtz called a technical on John Calipari for being a hair out of the coaches box. That changed the game as Kentucky went on a big run afterwards. That got the NCAA a lot of grief then, if that happened today, the debate would be unending and would pretty much dominate sports news for a week.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by tmagan

In the 1992 regional between UMASS and Kentucky, Lenny Wirtz called a technical on John Calipari for being a hair out of the coaches box. That changed the game as Kentucky went on a big run afterwards. That got the NCAA a lot of grief then, if that happened today, the debate would be unending and would pretty much dominate sports news for a week.

A hair out is one thing. That's not what is happening now.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by tmagan

In the 1992 regional between UMASS and Kentucky ...

Originally Posted by Adam

A hair out is one thing. That's not what is happening now.

My I bring up a high school point here? I remember when the NFHS first did away with the seatbelt rule and went to the coaching box. High school officials were very keenly aware of the box, and woe to the coach who veered a little out of that box, at the least, a warning, often a technical foul.

Today, many high school officials aren't as centered on that box as they were many years ago. And I know that I'm a part of the problem. The location of a coach in relation to the box almost never comes into play for me unless the coach is blocking the table, or yelling at me, or all the way down on the endline. Technical fouls for being out of the box over the past several years? None. Warning for being out of the box this past season? None. My "Game Management" peer ratings have been pretty good over the past few years, so I'm not perceived by my colleagues as being "soft" on coaches. Is there some kind of "disconnect" here?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by tmagan

In the 1992 regional between UMASS and Kentucky, Lenny Wirtz called a technical on John Calipari for being a hair out of the coaches box. ....

We know this as a fact? Either that Calipari didn't say anything to get a tech, or that he was just a hair out the box?

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Today, many high school officials aren't as centered on that box as they were many years ago.

During the coaches meetings this past season, I had several R's, remind coaches about staying in the box.

Every now and then we had warn one who "strayed a bit." But, overall, no issues.

[Rob1968]

A few years ago, HS Womens Varsity game, the very pregnant HC was a few feet out on the court as I started to change ends. I had closed down as Trail, on a shot attempt at her end, and as I took the second or third step towards the other end, I realized that the HC was right there! I managed to do a 360 in the air to miss her - just barely - as she and the crowd gasped in anticipated horror!
I got a round of applause - no T to the coach, no need to call the paramedics, and she stayed off the court for the rest of the game . . . and my career continued . . .

[Rich]

The coaching box is only a real issue when a coach is out of it for purposes other than coaching.

I dealt with a coaching box twice this season -- once I walked a coach back to his box when he was yelling at a partner. Later I assessed a technical foul - he was in the box at the time. Had nothing to do with the box, either.

In the second last game I worked, there was a coach who ended up all the way at the end line. While he was coaching at the time, I felt I needed to guide him back to the box -- he was just that far out of it.

My last game of the season was on a college floor and there were no HS coaching box lines even drawn.