College football officiating crews essentially serve as the third team on the playing field. Comprised of eight individuals on the field and two replay officials in the booth, football officials carry the responsibility of enforcing the rules and maintaining order of the competition. Officiating a college game involves training, development and experience. 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.
Our mission is to be a premier football officiating Conference in Division I by providing exceptional training, demonstrating outstanding rules knowledge, conducting ourselves with integrity, displaying the highest degree of professionalism and promoting exemplary sportsmanship. Our on-field success depends on the development, preparation, and proper training of all Conference USA officials.
C-USA is also committed to diversity and inclusion as it strives to develop a skilled roster of officials. The league conducts training and qualifying clinics annually for its officials in order that they maintain and improve their positions on the field, and for new candidates who desire to become officials.
Our program is designed to create a competitive environment that allows transparency, growth and steady improvement. The objectives are threefold: (1) to assure that each official deliver his best; (2) to seek, discover, and develop the ablest prospects in every geographical region; and (3) to assure uniformity and high standards for all college officiating.
The league's training program for CUSA game officials, as outlined below, provides consistency with our mission and core values.
Establish Trust
- Demonstrate Confidence – lead by example
- 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
Training Process
- 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
Enhance Resources
- More timely access to video resources with simpler platforms
- Provide much more instructional content, easier to use
- Add staff to allow greater efficiency
- Think outside the traditional box, bring in other types of resources/people
Coordinator Coaches
Mike Defee
Ronnie Ford
Trainer Coaches
Robert Richeson
Michael Cooper
Al Green
Jerod Phillips
Eugene Hall
Anthony Flemming
Richard Jordan
Terry Jones