Final Four Weekend & Hall of Fame Referee Gerry Pollard

Part One with Pollard

(St. Louis, MO) – Gerry Pollard officiated games in twenty-one editions of March Madness. He’s a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and is the supervisor of officials in several collegiate conferences. Since it is Final Four weekend, we wanted to talk to hall of fame referee Gerry Pollard.

He has officiated on this final weekend of the basketball season and has blown whistles in middle school and high school gyms. As a life-long St. Louis area police officer, Pollard has put himself in more hostile situations than in Peoria, Illinois and Des Moines, Iowa.

Pollard began his Division 1 officiating career in the same game that Bill Self began his D1 head coaching career. We had so much fun asking him about important personal experiences and also about some of the controversial officiating situations during this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Now retired (two knee replacements) Pollard oversees the officials in the Big Sky Conference, WAC and is the Big 12’s assistant coordinator of officials. He hosts officials’ camps to train up-and-coming referees.

Please enjoy part one of our conversation with hall of fame referee Gerry Pollard.

 

During part two of our conversation we discuss some typical fan complaints. We look into more of Pollard’s memories in the Valley and around the nation. He believes there circumstances surrounding the game and officiating that should and will be discussed in the offseason.

Do Good

 

Editor: Cover photo of Pollard, John Higgins and former President George Bush, courtesy of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.