"[12], During the 2009 season, Thomas was one of five female officials in major college football and the only one at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Female officials coming to Big Ten football - 247Sports McDaid to be new SEC Coordinator of Football Officials His care for the sport and how it is played will be critical moving forward, said Jon Steinbrecher, chair of the College Football Officiating board of managers and commissioner of the Mid-American Conference. SEC Football Officials are dedicated to their work and approach each game with integrity and focus on fairly administering the competition. College football officiating crews essentially serve as the third team on the playing field. His leadership, integrity, dedication and passion have made us better and make him the ideal person to serve as the national coordinator of football officials. -Gene Steratore, former NFL official and current rules analyst for CBS Sports, "John has been a highly successful and respected official going back to his days in the old Big East. I am grateful for my experience in the Southeastern Conference, both on the field as an active official and as coordinator of officials, and thankful for the relationships I developed in theSEC and Sun Belt.. Fans of the SEC and Sun Belt will have a new name to curse at over blown calls this fall. Putting a bug in their ear? Story Links SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Perry Havener has been named the Southern Conference's coordinator of football officials, Commissioner Jim Schaus announced Thursday. But will there even be a blending of styles, or will Wisconsin run an undiluted version of Longo's scheme? Power rankings and the biggest questions for SEC teams. The issue could be line play: Maryland has to rebuild up front on both sides of the ball, with the defense taking another hit this spring with the transfer of projected starter Tank Booker. McDaid has served as a referee in the Southeastern Conference since 2015, joining the SEC after two years in the same position with the American Athletic Conference. They've mastered the rules and mechanics, and they're prepared for this next step in their officiating careers. But did the league rush to get to the milestone? There are reasons to highlight the Terrapins as a possible breakout team in 2023, including of the Big Ten's top collections of skill talent headlined by veteran quarterbackTaulia Tagovailoa. Thomas has officiated United Football League games, and in 2010 worked the league championship game. American Athletic Conference Second round draft pick Tuli Tuipulotu speaks to the media at his introductory press conference after being selected by the Chargers at pick 54 in the 2023 NFL Draft. The annual game of the year in the Big Ten has become even more impossible to miss given the stakes at play following Michigan's revival under coach Jim Harbaugh. Congratulations to Mike Defee and best wishes as he leads Conference USA football officials. In 2013, Thomas became one of 21 finalists in contention for a permanent NFL officiating position. Or can Ohio State rebound without star quarterback C.J. The mandate makes sense: Iowa has allowed more than 24 points in a game four times in the past two seasons, losing each game. [note 1][17] Thomas made her NFL regular season debut in a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 13, 2015, as part of Pete Morelli's crew as the line judge. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. [8], She is married to Brian Thomas. General Manager Joe Douglas speaks with reporters at the 2023 NFL Annual League Meeting to provide an update on the offseason. Our officiating program will be based on honesty and transparency. There are even some nice pieces at wide receiver, including a very promising youngster in sophomore Rashad Rochelle, though Rutgers does lose its top three at the position. Thomas was the first woman to officiate a major college football game, the first to officiate a bowl game, and the first to officiate in a Big Ten stadium. [5][6] She attended Pascagoula High School, where she lettered five times in softball, the first student to ever do so. Steves passion for the game is unquestioned, and we look forward to continuing to support our shared vision to enhance football officiating on the national level.. There's obvious interest in seeing how Fickell, Longo and the Badgers marry this new approach with the physicality that has defined the program for three decades. Geralds role is going to change, but he will continue to work with Conference USA, said Russ Anderson, assistant commissioner for football and baseball operations, in an e-mail to Football Zebras. The change in the position name from head linesman coincided with the move in order to use a gender-neutral term. McDaid, a 1987 Harvard University graduate, replaces Steve Shaw who served as the SEC's football officiating coordinator since 2011. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Defee got a late start in officiating, starting in 1995 at the age of 33, working high school football in Texas. Greg Nosal and Max Warner serve as co-offensive coordinators on Bowling Green's staff. He worked his way up through the college ranks, joining the Big 12 conference in 2006 as a back judge and became a Big 12 referee in 2010. RELEASE | bit.ly/3duAFv6 He will do a great job in the SEC." Illinois Tech, an NCAA Division III program located in Chicago, is actively searching for a Head Coach Men's & Women's Swimming and Diving. American Athletic Conference 545 East John Carpenter Freeway Suite 300 Irving, TX 75062 (469) 284-5167 info@theamerican.org Staff Directory; Name Title . He was assigned to FCS Playoff games from 2002 and 2011, including the 2011 FCS National Championship Game. The league, Stay Connected provide growing opportunities for officials to stay engaged and communicate so that improved performance can be the result, Dependable say what we mean and mean what we say, Believable be consistent with our message, Increase collaboration process with officials and encourage dialogue, Reinforce the Positives to repeat successes, Instruct on How to correct the Negatives to avoid repeats, Provide more information to Trainers so they know the Why and How, More timely access to video resources with simpler platforms, Provide much more instructional content, easier to use, Think outside the traditional box, bring in other types of resources/people. hm8_:lT6Rwu+!^ E"|$Ds:"bg#pP-X "(5(Cc_%*%v_r5zJxW yjlDebxD(1*M While Conference USA is committed to building the next generation of college programs, the league is also invested in recruiting and developing people to become league officials. Northwestern's defense ranked 10th nationally in yards per play in 2020, when the Wildcats reached the Big Ten championship game, offsetting an offense that ranked 110th in the same category. Mary Langenfeld-USA . Two-year starting kicker Noah Ruggles connected on 37 of 41 field goals for the Buckeyes, though his reliability after transferring from North Carolina has been overshadowed by his 50-yard miss in the final seconds of last season's loss to Georgia. Gerry Austin - Wikipedia Austin was impressed with her skills and hired her for the Conference USA staff.