One of the more familiar faces in college basketball officiating, John Higgins, will take over as coordinator of officials for the Western Officiating Consortium starting next month.
Higgins, a 35-year veteran of officiating who has worked nine Final Fours and countless McKale Center games, will now oversee officials for the Pac-12, Big Sky, Big West, Mountain West, Western Athletic, and West Coast conferences. He will take over for the retiring Bobby Dibler.
In a joint statement, conference commissions within the consortium said of Higgins: "Over the course of the last decade, John has made our consortium stronger, not only with consistent calls and effective communication on the court, but in providing leadership and mentorship to officials across our roster.
"He has established and earned the respect of both colleagues and coaches alike during a more than three-decade career in college basketball, and we anticipate a smooth transition from one of the sport's most respected officials ever in Bobby Dibler to John Higgins for the upcoming 2023-24 season and beyond."
As part of the job, Higgins will likely travel around to observe officiating around the West as did Dibler, who made several trips from other schools or his El Paso home to take in McKale Center games in recent seasons. Higgins will also work with with Tucson-based NCAA coordinator of officials Chris Rastatter.
“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead men’s basketball officiating for the six conferences in the WBOC and to provide guidance and direction for our leadership team and officiating staff,” Higgins said in a statement. “The consortium has grown immensely under Bobby Dibler’s tenure, and I look forward to partnering with our officials, coaches and administrators, as well as NCAA national coordinator and former WBOC colleague Chris Rastatter, to further advance our group and make our sport better.”
