Pac-12 Coordinator of Officiating Tony Corrente resigns
Tony Corrente, a man most familiar to football fans as an NFL referee, resigned Tuesday as the Pac-12’s Coordinator of Football Officiating.
According to a conference release, Corrente cited personal and professional reasons for his resignation.
“Under Tony’s leadership, our program made great strides in improving the quality, accountability and consistency,” Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement. “While it’s unfortunate that Tony has decided to leave us at this time, I want to express my appreciation for his contribution, and for leaving our officiating program strong and headed in the right direction.”
His resignation was apparently unexpected.
Corrente was the referee for the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos earlier this year. He was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and throat in 2012.
Jokes have become common about Pac-12 officiating in college football thanks to a history of interesting calls. On Saturday, Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre attempted to voice his displeasure with officials while chasing after them as they walked off the field. And while you can argue that Oregon’s Tony Washington should never have gone to midfield and bowed toward his sideline after a sack, you can also argue that the taunting flag that was thrown on him shouldn’t have been called.
Washington State coach Mike Leach voiced his support for Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard on Tuesday. While Pollard criticized Big 12 officials after his team’s loss to Oklahoma State (and Pollard was subsequently fined), Leach said that “I think that just overall some things need to be changed to enhance officiating.“
Jim Blackwood, the league’s instant replay supervisor, is Corrente’s interim replacement. The Pac-12 will start looking for a permanent replacement after the season.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
