Pac-12 hires new VP of Officiating

Few conferences have had to deal with as many officiating problems over the years as the Pac-12.  From refs overzealously throwing penalty flags to officials making inappropriate comments about coaches, the overall reputation of the Pac-12's referees has been damaged to say the least.

Today, the conference started the process of correcting those negative perceptions by hiring David Coleman to lead a new model for its officiating programs.  Coleman joins the Pac-12 as the Vice President of Officiating after serving as the Director of Officiating for the National Football League since 2010.

“The stakes around officiating are so high in college football,” said Oregon State Athletic Director Bob De Carolis. “We are pleased to have attracted such a seasoned professional as a full-time resource. We look forward to working with him to ensure our officiating program is the best in the country.”

In this newly created full-time role with the Conference, Coleman is responsible for overseeing the football officiating program and developing comprehensive best practice programs, training, consistency, and accountability across all other Pac-12 officiating programs.

"The quality and integrity of officiating is paramount to successful competition across all sports,” said Commissioner Scott. “For this reason, we are breaking the mold by creating a full-time position to work with our entire officiating operation. David’s proven track record on and off the field will help us elevate our game to an even higher level as we seek to set the standard for quality across all fields of competition."

Coleman’s football experience includes on-the-field officiating and the recent officiating and operations role. At the NFL, he oversaw the Officiating Development Program to ensure a consistent pipeline of new talent and established and managed the Advanced Development Program, which integrated college football officials into NFL Game Official training.

As an official, he served as an Instant Replay Official for the NFL, including working Super Bowl XL, and served as a line judge in the Mid American Conference and as a Referee in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference earlier in his career.

Coleman will approach the Pac-12 football program similar to his recent role at the NFL, putting his focus on the recruitment, development, and measurement of the staff with the help of cutting-edge technology and talent management systems.

“The Pac-12 has set a standard for innovation and excellence,” said Coleman. “It will be my role to lead and develop an officiating program that meets this high standard. I am confident that, along with the Pac-12 membership and our existing officiating coordinators, we can build programs that others will try to emulate.”

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services