The next time an officiating controversy flares up at the NCAA Tournament, J.D. Collins will be the man on the spot.
The NCAA on Tuesday named Collins to replace John Adams as the national coordinator of men's basketball officiating. Adams announced last summer he would retire after this year's NCAA Tournament from the position he had held since 2008.
MORE: Quinn Cook's emotional banquet speech | Steph Curry rewrites recruiting rules en route to MVP
Collins has been serving as coordinator of officials for the Mid-American Conference and Summit League and as an officiating consultant for the Big Ten. He officiated two Final Fours and spent time calling games in seven conferences during his on-court career.
“J.D. emerged from a national search of strong candidates as the best choice, given the combination of his officiating and coordinator experience, a vision for a national program, and diverse skill sets,” NCAA vice president for men’s basketball Dan Gavitt said in a statement. “He will lead change in officiating during this dynamic time of both challenge and opportunity in college basketball and intercollegiate athletics.”