Hank Nichols | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1936-07-20)July 20, 1936 (age 89) Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Villanova University (Bachelor's Degree, 1958; Master's Degree) Duke University (Doctorate) |
| Basketball career | |
| Position | NCAA Basketball referee |
| Officiating career | 1986–2007 |
Henry Owen Nichols[1] (born July 20, 1936)[2] is an Americancollege basketballreferee and later supervisor of officials. In 2012, he was inducted as a member of theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[3] Nichols is also a member of thePhiladelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame, Villanova Athletic Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Athletic Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.[4][5] He officiated 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)Final Fours, a record 6NCAA Men's Basketball National Championships, 3NIT Finals, 2Olympic Games and 1European Championships. He was also the first official to work with both the NIT and NCAA Championship Basketball Finals in a single year, and the first National Coordinator of Officials.[4][5][6] Since 2004, he has worked as an Umpire Observer forMajor League Baseball.[7]
Nichols grew up inNiagara Falls, New York. In high school, he attended Bishop Duffy High and lettered in three sports.[8] He earned a scholarship toVillanova University, where he played catcher. He also started on the freshman basketball team.[8]
After graduation, Nichols spent two years in the Marine Corps, followed by three years playing minor league baseball in theCincinnati Reds organization.[9] In his last season (at age 27), he hit .330 as a player-manager in theWestern Carolina League.[8]
In the fall of 1969, while atDuke, Nichols started his officiating career with six freshmanAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball games. In 1970, Nichols became assistant professor in the Department of Education and Human Services at Villanova, where he would remain for the next 33 years. He also began officiating varsity games in theECAC and the ACC.[8]
In 1974, Nichols worked his first NCAA tournament, the first of 13 in a row.[8] That season, Nichols was one of the officials for the 1974North Carolina State-Maryland ACC championship game. Nichols said that game was the best he ever worked, and NC State'sDavid Thompson as the greatest player he officiated.[9] NC State won the game in overtime, and went on to win the national championship. At the time only one team from each conference made the NCAA Tournament.[10]
"I just remember getting out of everybody's way," Nichols said. "Those players were so good. We just kind of watched them. It was a magnificent game."[10]
In 1975, Nichols worked the first of 10 Final Fours, and the first of six national championships.[11] The championship game wasJohn Wooden's final game as the head coach at UCLA.[12]
In 1976, he officiated at the Olympic Games inMontreal, the first of two Olympic assignments. His second would come in 1984 inLos Angeles.[8]
In 1987, Nichols became the first NCAA coordinator of officials.[10] He spent 22 years in that position. Nichols said, "the goal was to try to get guys across the country to officiate the same way, not have the ACC be different from theBig Ten and the Big Ten different from thePac-10. We wanted to teach guys to ref better, to try to get them to be more consistent. We didn't want them to be another factor when teams played on the road. We wanted them to stand tall and figure out tough situations. I think a lot of that has been accomplished."[13] While in this position, Nichols also was the secretary/editor of the Basketball Rules Committee from 1991 to 1997.[5]
Nichols retired after the 2007–2008 season. He was replaced by John Adams.[8]