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John Cahill to supervise officials in ‘new’ Big East

John Calipari, John Cahill

Kentucky coach John Calipari, right, argues a call with referee John Cahill during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Louisville on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. Louisville defeated Kentucky 80-77. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

AP

The supervisor of officials for the “new” Big East Conference, which will be officially recognized by the NCAA on August 1, will be a face familiar to many fans who have followed the holdovers for years.

That person would be John Cahill, who makes the move from the floor after forty years as a game official. Cahill’s final game was this year’s national title game between Louisville and Michigan, and in the story by Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times-Union Cahill stated that initially had second thoughts in regards to his decision to retire.

“I had second thoughts right after the time I walked off the floor in Atlanta on (that) Monday night,” Cahill said Wednesday. “I knew down deep that there was a possibility — although it was remote at that time — that it could be the last time. I was a little nostalgic about it, but not as nostalgic as I anticipated being. That convinced me that, you know what, it’s the right time.”

With the new position Cahill will have more control over his travel, as he can now pick and choose which games to attend as opposed to working nearly every night as he and many other officials who have become household names have done in recent years.

“I certainly can control my travel,” said Cahill, who missed the final month of the 2011-12 season because of a stress fracture in his leg. “If I go to the airport and it’s snowing, I can turn around and watch it on TV rather than wait all day to get there.”

How physical will play be in the conference, which officially adds Butler, Creighton and Xavier on July 1? That will be an interesting discussion to have in the weeks leading up to the start of the season, especially when considering the history of the Big East.

And Cahill will certainly be an influential figure as the conference looks to develop a “new” identity nationally.

Raphielle also writes for the NBE Basketball Report and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.