FOR THE RECORD

DEATHS

Terry Cooney —

The 20-year AL umpire, whose career included infamous run-ins with the likes of Billy Martin and Roger Clemens, died March 4. He was 88.He made his MLB debut as a 40-year-old rookie on Sept. 27, 1974. The AL hired him in 1975, and he remained there through the 1992 season, working 2,233 games, two MLB All-Star Games, three AL Championship Series and the 1981 World Series.

Johnny Grier — The first Black referee in the NFL died March 9. He was 74.Grier was hired by the NFL in 1981 as a field judge before moving to referee in 1988. He was assigned to 15 playoff games in his 23-year career, seven as a field judge and eight as a referee. His highest achievement was Super Bowl XXII, his last game as a field judge. In total, he worked two Wild Card games, nine Divisional games and three Conference Championships. After his retirement, he worked in the NFL office and was coordinator of football officials for the MidEastern Athletic Conference.

Wayne Mackie

— The NFL vice president of officiating evaluation and development and a longtime NFL official died unexpectedly March 24. He was 62.Mackie was a head linesman in the league from 2007-16. He officiated eight playoff games, including two Conference Championship games and Super Bowl 50. After 10 years on the field, he joined the NFL officiating department in 2017.

Tom Robinson

— The associate commissioner for the Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA), chair of the NASO board and a longtime college football official died April 4. He was 76. For 20 years at CHSAA, Robinson oversaw officials. He served as a college football official for the Western Athletic and Mountain West conferences, and later served as a replay official in the CFO West. Robinson served two terms on the NASO board and was elected chair for 2021-22.

Paul Albright — The longtime FIVB referee died April 14. He was 55.Albright traveled the globe officiating the highest levels of volleyball including men’s and women’s world championships, Olympic qualifiers, World League and Volleyball Nations League. He also officiated domestically for all levels of indoor and beach volleyball, including NCAA Women’s Division I championship assignments and two Final Four appearances.

Hugh Evans — The renowned NBA referee who was enshrined in 2022 to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (see Recognitions) died July 8. He was 81. During his 28-year NBA career, he officiated 1,969 regular-season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals contests and four NBA All-Star Games. After retiring, he worked as the NBA assistant supervisor of officials from 2001-03.

Bill Haller — The AL umpire, whose argument with Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, died Aug. 20. He was 87. Haller joined the AL staff in 1963. He retired in 1982 having worked four World Series, four AL Championship Series and four All-Star Games.

Greg Brewer — The retired Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) director of officials died Sept. 2. He was 65. Brewer joined the AHSAA in 1976. He became director of officials in 1988 and held the position until 2016. He founded the Alabama Sports Officials Foundation in 2016 to support officiating, including establishment of the Officials Hall of Fame.

Dale Williams — The former NFL Super Bowl linesman and College World Series umpire died Sept. 18. He was 82. Williams officiated in the NFL from 19802003, working five Wild Card games, 12 Divisional games, three Conference Championships and Super Bowls XX, XXVI and XXXVII.He spent 32 years as a collegiate baseball umpire, working 21 NCAA D-I regionals and eight College World Series. He also umpired at the 1984 Olympic Games. He served as a coordinator of umpires for the Big West, Western Athletic and Pac10 conferences.

Tom Zimorski —

The Atlantic Coast Conference replay official died Oct. 1 after working the Clemson-North Carolina State game. He was 75. He was a referee and replay official in the ACC for more than 20 years, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for seven years and the Atlantic 10 for two years. He was also a longtime member of the NFHS Football Rules Committee.

RETIREMENTS

Ed Camp — The NFL down judge retired after 21 years in the league, previously serving as a head linesman as well. He worked four Wild Card games, seven Divisional games, two Conference Championships and Super Bowl LIII.

Gary Cavaletto — The NFL official retired after 19 seasons, serving as a side judge and field judge. He worked three Wild Card games, four Divisional games, five Conference Championships and Super Bowl XLVI.

Tony Corrente — The longtime NFL referee retired after 27 years in the league. Corrente was hired by the NFL in 1995 as a back judge and promoted to referee for the 1998 season. He worked eight Wild Card games, five Divisional games, six Conference Championships and Super Bowl XLI.

Scott Edwards — The NFL official retired after 23 years as a field judge and side judge. He worked three Wild Card games, 11 Divisional games, three Conference Championships and Super Bowls 50 and LII.

Greg Gautreaux — The NFL official retired after 19 seasons as a field judge and side judge. He worked five Wild Card games, one Divisional game, two Conference Championships and Super Bowl XLIII.

Rich Hall — The NFL umpire retired after 18 seasons. He worked seven Wild Card games, two Divisional games and three Conference Championships.

Joe Larrew — The NFL field judge retired after 19 seasons, working previously as a side judge as well. He worked five Wild Card games, one Divisional game, two Conference Championships and Super Bowl XLVII.

John McGrath — The NFL replay official retired after five seasons. He previously worked as a head linesman in the league from 2002-16, working three Wild Card games, three Divisional games and Super Bowl XLIV.

Mark Steinkerchner — The NFL line judge retired after 28 years in the league. He worked three Wild Card games, 14 Divisional games, one Conference Championship and Super Bowls XXXVII and XXXIX.

Steve Zimmer — The NFL field

judge retired after 25 years in the league, including a year in the back judge position. He worked two Wild Card games, 14 Divisional games, one Conference Championship and Super Bowls XL and LIII.

Dan Ferrell — The NFL umpire retired from the league after 19 seasons. He worked two Wild Card games, six Divisional games, two Conference Championships and Super Bowl LI.

Fieldin Culbreth — The MLB crew chief, who worked three World Series, retired ahead of the 2022 season. His 29-year career also included one Wild Card, eight Division Series and seven League Championship Series.

Kerwin Danley — The MLB crew chief, who umpired 30 years in the league, retired ahead of the 2022 season. During his career, he worked one Wild Card, seven Divisional Series, two League Championship Series and two World Series.

Greg Gibson — The 24-year veteran MLB umpire retired following the 2022 season. His career included three Wild Card games, 11 Division Series, five League Championship Series and the 2011 World Series. Gibson was promoted to crew chief prior to the 2022 season.

Kevin Stott — The 27-year MLS referee announced his retirement in September. During his career, he worked five MLS Cups, including three as a referee (2001, 2005, 2009) and two as a fourth official (2000, 2006). Stott was selected MLS Referee of the Year in 2010. Stott was a FIFA referee from 1995-2008.

TRANSITIONS

NBA — Kane Fitzgerald, a 13-year NBA officiating veteran, left the floor to become the NBA’s vice president of referee operations and replay center principal. He finished his onfloor career working 779 NBA regular-season games and 66 playoff games, including four Finals games. He started in the new role on Sept. 18, taking over for Jason Phillips, another former onfloor NBA official.

PRO — Professional Referee Organization (PRO) General Manager Howard Webb will replace Mike Riley as chief refereeing officer for the Premier League. Riley announced in late June he was stepping down. Webb, who formerly officiated in the Premier League, has been general manager of PRO since 2018.

NCAA — Chris Rastatter, who has 27 years of college basketball officiating experience, was named the NCAA’s national coordinator of men’s basketball officiating in late August. He replaced J.D. Collins, who retired in October from the position he held since 2015.

WCC —

Joanne Venditto, who serves as the softball coordinator of officials for the Pac-12 and Big West conferences, as well as a regional advisor for the NCAA Softball Umpire Program, was selected in September to add coordinator of softball umpires of the West Coast Conference to her duties. She replaced Terry Ching, who served as the coordinator since 2014.

SEC — Peter Vaas, a 40-year veteran of college football officiating and coaching circles, was named assistant coordinator for football replay by the Southeastern Conference. Vaas, who served as the replay official for the 2022 national championship game, oversees replay for both the Southeastern and the Sun Belt Conferences. Western 5 — Joan Powell, a distinguished official, trainer and evaluator who served as the NCAA national coordinator of volleyball officials from 2011-15, was selected as coordinator of women’s volleyball officials for the Western 5 in April. The newly formed consortium consists of five D-I conferences: Pac-12, Mountain West, West Coast, Big Sky and Big West.

Mountain West —

Cody Little, who served as an umpire in six Division I conferences, was named the Mountain West Conference coordinator of softball officials on Aug. 1. Little umpired multiple NCAA Division I postseason events, including the Women’s College World Series (2016-17). He served as an NCAA softball regional advisor.

RECOGNITIONS

Hugh Evans — The longtime NBA official, who died July 8 (see Deaths), was inducted posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 10 in Springfield, Mass. Evans was regarded as one of the best officials in the NBA and was previously enshrined in the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame and the North Carolina A&T Hall of Fame, which is his alma mater. Evans was one of the first NBA officials from an HBCU.

Esse Baharmast

— The former FIFA referee was inducted to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 21 in the builder category. Baharmast was a FIFA referee for six years. He officiated two matches at the 1998 World Cup, three at the 1996 Olympic Games, one at the 1997 Copa America and five at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1996 and 1998. He is also a former MLS and MISL referee. He later served as director of officials for U.S. Soccer, a member of the CONCACAF Referee Committee and a FIFA technical instructor. He is now director of referees for the Colorado Soccer Association.

Joan Powell —

The coordinator of the W5 women’s volleyball officials consortium received the NASO Gold Whistle Award on Aug. 2. Powell was the first person to be named NCAA coordinator of volleyball officials (2011-15). She was also a five-term president of the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (1996-2010). During her 40-plus years as an oncourt official, she officiated nine NCAA D-I championships, three NCAA D-II championships, one NCAA D-III championship as well as NJCAA and NAIA championships. Powell served two terms on the NASO board.

Jim Host — The founder of Host Communications was the 2022 recipient of the Mel Narol Medallion, which recognizes contributions to NASO. He was a strong advocate in the early days of NASO and was among the architects of the NASO conventions (now Summits). He was also involved in developing the formal relationship between NASO and Referee Enterprises Inc., the publisher of Referee and NASO’s management services partner. He is a former NASO board member.

Bobby Dibler —

The coordinator of men’s basketball officials for the Western Officiating Consortium received the NASO Inspire Award. He officiated Division I men’s basketball from 1973-93, working 14 NCAA tournaments and three Final Fours, including two championship games. Dibler was honored for his courage and perseverance in the wake of great personal tragedy.