The kid from the country dreamed big. He did not want to live on the farm in rural Virginia the rest of his life. Loved playing baseball as a kid every Sunday in fields where cows dwelled. Longed for the beach trip with the family after the wheat went to market. Loved to hunt and fish. From the Beatles in the 60’s to James Taylor and Carly Simon in the 70’s he loved listening to music. Remembers playing songs on his 8-track mounted under his dash of the 64 Oldsmobile he drove with air shocks that jacked up the back of his car. His Dad listening to NASCAR on the transistor radio or watching the Yankees on the black and white was the highlight of Sundays after church.
During his college days at Lynchburg College, now University of Lynchburg, he had a successful career as an outfielder on a team that saw 9 members of the squad sign professional contracts. Not bad for a D-III school. His coach, Gerry Thomas, was the most influential adult man in his life. He taught him to be always compete every inning and be humble when things were good and resilient when things were bad, He idolized Hank Aaron and respected him for the struggles he endured while being the best home run hitter ever.
Followed his childhood dream by playing a summer in Beeville, Texas in an Independent Professional Baseball League. He remembers every hit. Well, there weren’t many.
Shortly thereafter began his life as a coach and teacher. In 1983 he attended 5-Star Basketball camp and found a new passion, refereeing basketball.
In 1988 after many attempts, he and his wife Evelyn were blessed with a miracle son, Chase, now a dad and an NCAA referee. His playing days as a fast pitch, slow pitch and baseball player ended and his focus on his future began.
That future eventually led him to the NBA. As a referee, supervisor and Director it took him out of the country but his love for country music continued as he performed Garth, Kenny and Rascal Flatts on the stage at any karaoke event.
In 2018, he left his comfort zone of steady pay and great benefits to pursue his dream to make a difference in a world of uncharted waters. Referees, coaches and players have waged battles and seldom do they see the game eye to eye or understand each other. This passion from both sides led him to his new pathway of serving the game by building relationships between referees and teams so everyone can exist with respect in the same space every game. He continues to enjoy working with the top referee prospects as they mature and improve their craft and also helps NBA players play the game at a high level through understanding the rules and improving their relationships with the referees.
The next chapter awaits. As he makes his way through it country music plays on his car radio and on Sunday the NASCAR race is a great way to appreciate his past and look ahead to the next challenge.
“Working with Don helped me learn the ins and outs of the NBA Game as seen from the view of referees. Understanding it from a different perspective than just that of a player has really helped me adapt my game accordingly.”
The kid from the country dreamed big. He did not want to live on the farm in rural Virginia the rest of his life. Loved playing baseball as a kid every Sunday in fields where cows dwelled. Longed for the beach trip with the family after the wheat went to market. Loved to hunt and fish. From the Beatles in the 60’s to James Taylor and Carly Simon in the 70’s he loved listening to music. Remembers playing songs on his 8-track mounted under his dash of the 64 Oldsmobile he drove with air shocks that jacked up the back of his car. His Dad listening to NASCAR on the transistor radio or watching the Yankees on the black and white was the highlight of Sundays after church.
That future eventually led him to the NBA. As a referee, supervisor and Director it took him out of the country but his love for country music continued as he performed Garth, Kenny and Rascal Flatts on the stage at any karaoke event.
Website design by