John Dangleis, the Big West Conference’s long-time Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officiating, today announced his retirement from the NCAA Division I conference, effective September 30.  Bill McCabe, who will also continue to coordinate men’s basketball officiating for the Pacific-10 Conference, will replace him.

Dangleis is the longest serving Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials of the NCAA’s 31 Division I conference coordinators, having held the Big West position since 1980.  During his three decades of service with the Big West, he has discovered, trained, and assigned hundreds of men’s basketball officials, many of whom have worked in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships and advanced to the Final Four.

“No one individual has had more impact on the development of men’s basketball officiating in the west over the past three decades than John,” said Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell.  “His dedication to the profession has been extraordinary as every year he has spent countless hours identifying up-and-coming officials and then mentoring them to be the best.  His impact on collegiate men’s basketball officiating will be felt for many years to come.”

Before assuming the role of Coordinator of Officials, Dangleis was a respected men’s basketball official for 23 years, including 20 at the collegiate level where he worked for the Pacific-8 Conference (now the Pac-10), the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (now the Big West), and the West Coast Athletic Conference (now the West Coast Conference).  He worked the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championships five times during his officiating career.

Over the next four months Dangleis will continue to work with McCabe in transitioning the Big West’s officiating program. 
  
McCabe comes to the Big West Conference after assigning officials solely for the Pac-10 Conference since 2006.  He is a long-time men’s basketball and football official who has worked for five of the six western NCAA Division I conferences in one capacity or the other.
   
In addition to officiating college sports, McCabe has also worked from 1993 to 2008 as an Arena Football League Official, including five championship game assignments, and has served as a replay official for the National Football League from 2000 to 2004.

“Bill brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position,” said Farrell.  “A successful coordinator of officials, in my mind, needs to fit four criteria: 1, be respected in the officiating community; 2, be respected in the coaching and administrative community; 3, be well organized; and 4, be approachable and easy to communicate with.  Like John, Bill fits all four criteria.  We are extremely fortunate to have him be willing to take on the additional responsibility with the Big West Conference.”