SEC men’s basketball officials coordinator steps down

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) announced a significant piece of news Tuesday, as men’s basketball officials coordinator Mark Whitehead has resigned from his position.

Whitehead, who took the position in 2016, officiated in the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Conference USA and Missouri Valley conferences. He was selected to work the NCAA men’s basketball tournament 22 consecutive years, including 18 times in the NCAA regional round and five Final Four assignments prior to taking his role with the SEC.

“I appreciate Mark’s work and his investment of time and effort the last four seasons to improve the SEC officiating program,” SEC commissioner Sankey said in a press release. “He was tireless in his dedication to the position and we will miss his enthusiasm for the sport of basketball that brought our officiating program to a new level.”

While Whitehead was respected by the league, his officials have been the recipients of heavy criticism during his tenure.

Officiating has been mediocre at best in the conference and the Kentucky Wildcats have been just one of the victims of poorly called games.

With Whitehead gone, the SEC will look to find his replacement immediately and that may mean some sweeping changes in how games are officiated in the future.