Dean Blandino, the NFL’s head of officiating, has handed in his resignation and insiders say he may be headed to Fox Sports.
With his resignation, Blandino said he wanted to spend more time with his family and explore other business opportunities.
Blandino, 45, said the demands of his job kept him from his family too much. Acting as head of NFL officiating since 2013, he reportedly planned to take on a bigger role this season after the league approved a centralized replay system which will allow the officiating team to review and decide on-field calls from their office in New York.
In a statement NFL vice president Troy Vincent praised the official, ESPN reported.
“Dean has done an outstanding job leading our officiating staff,” Vincent said. “He’s been a trusted colleague and a friend to so many of us around the league. Dean’s knowledge of the playing rules, his tireless commitment to improving the quality of NFL officiating, and his unquestioned dedication to his job has earned him the respect of the entire football community.”
Blandino will stay with the NFL through May as the league searches for his replacement.
Sources say that he may be headed to the broadcast booth for Fox Sports. According to Sports Business Daily, the soon-to-be former official will work NFL and college games for Fox.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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