Six High School Officials Named Award Recipients by NFHS Officials Association
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Six individuals who have been involved in high school sports officiating for numerous years have been selected as the 2024 recipients of national and section awards by the NFHS Officials Association.
Two individuals are receiving the National Contributor award and the National Active Official awards, while four others are receiving Section Active Officials of the Year awards.
Bob Murphy, a long-time certified high school wrestling official in Iowa, is the recipient of the National Contributor Award, and Bill Riccio, a highly respected baseball and football official from Connecticut, is the 2024 recipient of the National Active Official Award.
Sectional awards are being presented to Jack Iliff, Newton, New Jersey, Section 1; David Chandler, McCordsville, Indiana, Section 4; Gene Cox, Thayer, Kansas, Section 5; and Andrew Robertson, Farmington, New Mexico, Section 6.
Following are biographical sketches of the six NFHS Officials Association award recipients for 2024:
NATIONAL CONTRIBUTOR
Bob Murphy – Iowa
Bob Murphy’s experience as a high school wrestling official is extensive after 52 years on the mat. In that time, Murphy has officiated 30 Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state tournaments and 26 state dual-meet tournaments and continues to officiate.
In addition to wrestling, Murphy has also officiated six other sports for the IHSAA, and currently officiates track, cross country, baseball and softball.
Murphy was voted Official of the Year two times for wrestling – in 2001 and 2016 at the state tournament. He was also selected to lead the Grand March at the 2013 State Wrestling Tournament Finals.
At the state level, Murphy served on the IHSAA State Wrestling Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2023 and the IHSAA Officials Advisory Committee from 2010 to 2014. He is also heavily involved with the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA), having served as the association’s vice president, president and executive director at various times. He currently serves as the IWCOA treasurer.
Additionally, Murphy was the activities director and assistant principal for West Delaware Schools in Manchester, Iowa, for 25 years.
Among his honors, Murphy was inducted into the Iowa High School Wrestling Officials Hall of Fame in 2012.
NATIONAL ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Bill Riccio – New Haven, Connecticut
Bill Riccio is a long-time, respected baseball and football official in Connecticut. He has been officiating with the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association since 1972, starting his career as a junior varsity umpire. During his time, he worked in numerous state tournaments for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) and was the plate umpire in the 2007 Babe Ruth State Championship game.
In addition to baseball, he also has been a member of the Vincent J. Reilly-New Haven Football Officials Association since 1974. He’s been the state rules interpreter since 2010 and was elected assigning commissioner in 2017.
Riccio served a four-year term on the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee (2007-11) as the officials’ representative. He later was named to the NFHS Football Rules Committee and helped rewrite and include new mechanics in the Football Officials Manual.
In 2021, Riccio was named to the CIAC Sportsmanship Committee, and he has helped to develop programs to encourage and maintain sportsmanship throughout Connecticut, including a section in the CIAC Handbook.
Among his honors, Riccio was inducted into the Connecticut Football Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and the New Haven Football Officials Association Ring of Honor in 2022.
SECTION 1 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Jack Iliff – Newton, New Jersey
Jack Iliff has officiated football for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) since 1978. He has officiated many state championships during his 45-year career, including 10 state finals as the head official.
Iliff has been a NJSIAA Ethics Board member for the past 18 years, including the last 10 as chairman.
Besides football, Iliff is also a high school swimming, track and field, and cross country official for the NJSIAA. He has officiated several NJSIAA state swimming meets and was the NFHS Boys Swim Official of the Year in 2017.
In addition to officiating high school, he also has experience at the collegiate level as he is the secretary/treasurer for the College Officials Swim Organization and has officiated many college swim meets including the American East Conference Championship at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
SECTION 4 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
David Chandler – McCordsville, Indiana
David Chandler’s officiating record for the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is extensive. He began officiating the sports of volleyball, wrestling and softball in 2000 and continues to be an active volleyball and softball official.
Chandler has been an Amateur Softball Association and a USA softball umpire since 1998. During that time, he umpired multiple state championships and nine national championships. Chandler is also a member of the USA Softball medals program, and an elite umpire in fast pitch classification.
With the IHSAA, Chandler has officiated numerous sectionals and one regional in volleyball and was named the officials coordinator at the state finals nine times. He is also a lead clinician for the IHSAA, where he has instructed every Softball Certification Clinic since 2015. Chandler also was awarded the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Associations Service award for softball in 2019.
Chandler has also been a softball rules Interpreter since 2021.
SECTION 5 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Gene Cox – Thayer, Kansas
Gene Cox has been a multi-sport official for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) for 29 years. He has officiated 18 KSHSAA state baseball tournaments, 16 state basketball tournaments and 16 state football tournaments, including one state football championship.
Cox coordinates basketball and baseball clinics in southeast Kansas to help prepare the next generation of officials. With basketball, he works with new officials on three-person mechanics when officiating games and familiarizes them with shot clock usage.
Cox was awarded the NFHS 2009 Kansas Baseball Official of the Year and is also a KSHSAA Area Supervisor for Basketball and Baseball. He has also received a 20-year KSHSAA Service Award for his dedication to officiating high school sports.
SECTION 6 ACTIVE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Andrew Robertson – Farmington, New Mexico
Andy Robertson has numerous experiences with high school soccer officials the past 33 years. He has been a trainer and mentor to generations of officials and continues to be involved today with the New Mexico Activities Association.
Robertson began his officiating career with the NMAA in 1997 and is still a member today along with the United States Soccer Federation.
Robertson’s involvement with high school soccer officials spans more than 20 years in the northwest region of New Mexico, where he is a trainer and mentor to generations of officials in the region, and currently helps with games this season.
Online link to article: https://www.nfhs.org/articles/six-high-school-officials-named-award-recipients-by-nfhs-officials-association/
About the NFHS
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,800 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.8 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; offers online education courses for coaches, administrators, students, officials, performing arts educators, parents and others; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.
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