SEC Tabs New Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officiating

A 24-year veteran of college basketball officiating and three-time Final Four official, has been named Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials for the SEC.

NCAA referee Mike Eades talks to Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard during the game with the Minnesota Gophers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Eades, a 24-year veteran of college basketball officiating and three-time Final Four official, has been named Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials for the Southeastern Conference, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Tuesday.

Eades, a graduate of Bluefield (WV) State College and native of Princeton, WV, has extensive experience as an NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament official that includes four Sweet 16 assignments, five Elite 8 assignments and appearances in the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Final Fours.

Eades has been serving as an official in SEC, ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, American, Atlantic 10 and Big South conferences and Colonial Athletic Association games while also holding the position of Supervisor of Men's Basketball Officials for the Mountain East Conference, a role he has held since 2013, and the River States Conference since 2018.

"Mike Eades will bring nearly a quarter of a century of men's basketball officiating experience and knowledge to the SEC's officiating program," said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. "Mike has experienced success as an on-court official at the highest levels of college basketball and he has developed relationships during his career that will be beneficial in supporting the men's basketball officiating program of the SEC."

In his role as SEC Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials, Eades will be charged with selecting, training, evaluating, and assigning officials for SEC contests. He will also manage a basketball officiating consortium that consists of, in addition to the SEC, the American, Sun Belt and ASUN conferences.

Eades' basketball officiating career began in 1992 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) and he also officiated for the Horizon League, Summit League, Big South, Mid-American Conference (MAC) early in his career.

Prior to his graduation from Bluefield State, Eades played basketball at Lees-McRae (NC) College and he was later inducted into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. Eades and his wife, Gina, have one son, Anthony.

Story via. SEC Release

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