Steve Horgan, the current Director of Umpiring for USA Field Hockey, has been named the NCAA’s national assignor of field hockey officials effective immediately.
“I am honored to have been chosen for this position,” said Horgan, who also serves as the NCAA rules interpreter for field hockey. “With my position at USA Field Hockey, I am hoping to be able to work to not only identify the best officials in the country to work the championships, but also to make sure we increase the educational offerings to officials so they are able to perform to the best of their abilities.”
A field hockey official since 1983, Horgan has worked virtually every level of the game from club and high school contests to the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. He also has umpired NCAA contests at every division. On the international stage, he has umpired 85 contests, which include World Cups and the Pan American Games in addition to the Olympics.
As the national assignor, he will oversee communication among officials, conference coordinators, coaches and the NCAA, and provide consistency in officiating mechanics. In addition, Horgan will work with the Divisions I, II and III field hockey committees in the identification, training, selection and evaluation of umpires for each championship.
“With his background as an official who has worked the game at the highest level, we are confident Steve will be able to elevate the performance of our officials to new heights,” said Kelly Whitaker, NCAA Assistant Director of Championships and Alliances. “He clearly understands the needs of everyone involved with NCAA field hockey from the coaches and players to the officials, and we are excited for him to get started.”
