Teaching at Heart of Norris Honoree's Work
April 17, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
David Buck’s degree in education did not lead him into a fulltime job in the classroom.
But the longtime St. Joseph baseball umpire and basketball referee has had an undeniable impact as a teacher and trainer of officials in southwest Michigan, across the state and far beyond its borders.
Buck, one of the state’s most highly-respected officials on the court and considered among the nation’s top collegiate baseball umpires, will be recognized for his vast contributions to the high school games with the MHSAA’s Vern L. Norris Award for 2019.
The Norris Award is presented annually to a veteran official who has been active in a local officials association, has mentored other officials, and has been involved in officials’ education. It is named for Vern L. Norris, who served as executive director of the MHSAA from 1978-86 and was well-respected by officials on the state and national levels.
Buck has earned similar regard. He’s also a mentor as part of southwest Michigan’s Fruit Belt Officials Association, and considered an elite clinician who has taught the baseball umpiring trade on the national level.
“Dave Buck generously gives of his time to teach and instruct at clinics all over the country. He is an outstanding teacher who relates to all officials, from the rookies and up-and-comers to the veterans still working at improving their craft,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Dave also has brought a level of enhanced professionalism to the officiating landscape in southwestern Michigan, where he has improved the continuing education, recruitment and retention efforts and assignment process for many officials. I cannot think of a more worthy Vern Norris Award winner than Dave Buck.”
Buck will be honored at the 40th Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 4 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing.
He also will be recognized with his 40-year service award and remains registered with the MHSAA for basketball. He previously officiated football for 16 years, volleyball for his first seven and baseball for his first five beginning with the 1979-80 school year.
He has focused solely on basketball for the MHSAA since 2002-03 and officiated Boys Basketball Semifinals in 2012 and 2013 and the Class B Final in 2009. Additionally, he officiated 30 college basketball seasons, stepping away from that level a year ago, and has begun his 21st at the NCAA Division I baseball level, working in the Big Ten, Mid-American, Pac-12 and Big West conferences. He earned College World Series assignments in 2004 and 2007 and umpired in minor league baseball for 11 seasons, including four at the Triple-A level. Buck also is in his 15th year observing and evaluating umpires for Major League Baseball.
As noted, those experiences on the field have supplied valuable knowledge he gladly continues to pass on. After attending the prestigious Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School – he was named the “outstanding student” in 1984 – Buck also served there as an instructor for eight years. He has taught for 24 years at Doane Umpire Camps and instructed at the Division I Baseball Regional Umpire Camp.
On the high school level, he’s been a member of the Fruit Belt Officials Association for more than three decades including more than 15 years serving on its Board of Directors. He developed the FBOA’s mentoring program that pairs novice basketball officials with experienced partners for low-level games, and he also developed the FBOA website and continues to serve as its webmaster.
“We want people to succeed so much … and I still get a lot of joy out of seeing someone who discovers the world we’re in with officiating,” Buck said. “The camaraderie part of it, the feeling you get from doing the job properly, although for the most part you’re not getting pats on the back from people other than your own. It’s a unique group of people at all levels.”
Buck graduated from North Adams-Jerome High School in 1978, then earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Central Michigan University. In addition to the College World Series and nine Division I Super Regional assignments, Buck umpired two Olympic Qualifier tournaments and the Baseball World Cup in 2007.
Locally, in addition to officiating basketball, Buck has served as an assigner and evaluator for multiple southwest Michigan conferences for 15 years.
Buck most recently has been affiliated with the FBOA, Amateur Baseball Umpires’ Association, Collegiate Baseball Umpires Alliance and National Association of Sports Officials. He currently works as an electronic health records analyst at Lakeland Health in St. Joseph.
While officiating has played a significant part during the majority of Buck’s adult life, he’s equally passionate about his fundraising work to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Buck’s oldest daughter Hannah battles the disease; he’s personally raised more than $175,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and served as the co-chairperson of St. Joseph’s “Great Strides Walk” from 2002-16. Hannah, who was diagnosed at age 5, will graduate from University of Michigan earlier in the day May 4.
Previous recipients of the Norris Award
1992 – Ted Wilson, East Detroit
1993 – Fred Briggs, Burton
1994 – Joe Brodie, Flat Rock
1995 – Jim Massar, Flint
1996 – Jim Lamoreaux, St. Ignace
1997 – Ken Myllyla, Escanaba
1998 – Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo
1999 – Richard Kalahar, Jackson
2000 – Barb Beckett, Traverse City; Karl Newingham, Bay City
2001 – Herb Lipschultz, Kalamazoo
2002 – Robert Scholie, Hancock
2003 – Ron Nagy, Hazel Park
2004 – Carl Van Heck, Grand Rapids
2005 – Bruce Moss, Alma
2006 – Jeanne Skinner, Grand Rapids
2007 – Terry Wakeley, Grayling
2008 – Will Lynch, Honor
2009 – James Danhoff, Richland
2010 – John Juday, Sr., Petoskey
2011 – Robert Williams, Redford
2012 – Lyle Berry, Rockford
2013 – Tom Minter, Okemos
2014 – Hugh R. Jewell, West Bloomfield
2015 – Sam Davis, Lansing
2016 – Linda Hoover, Marshall
2017 – Michael Gentry, Shelby Township
2018 – Jill Baker-Cooley, Big Rapids
High school game officials with 20, 30, 40, 45 and 50 years of service also will be honored at the Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 4.
Thirteen officials with 50 or more years of service will be honored, along with 53 officials with 45 years. A 40-year award will be presented to 66 officials. In addition, 99 officials with 30 years and 160 officials with 20 years of experience will be honored. With the induction of this year’s group of 391, the honor roll of officials who have aided young student-athletes grows to 11,397 since the inception of the banquet in 1980.
Tickets for the banquet are available to the public and priced at $20. They will not be sold at the door. Tickets can be ordered by calling the MHSAA office at (517) 332-5046 or by sending the order form available at this link. Deadline to order is April 22.
MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
20, 30, 40, 45 & 50-YEAR OFFICIALS
The officials on this list will receive their 20, 30, 40, 45 or 50-year service awards at the 40th annual Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 4 at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing.
20 YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Dawn M. Hart
Adrian - Aaron S. Crowley
Alden - Gerald R. Grieve
Allen Park - Scott M. Antioch
Allen Park - Ronald B. Rowland
Allendale - Brent J. Clark
Allendale - Alison M. Haraburda
Ann Arbor - Kevin S. Behmer
Ann Arbor - Bradley R. Mutnick
Athelstane - Robin G. Elsner
Bad Axe - Mark J. Schultz
Battle Creek - Kim M. Leach
Battle Creek - Mark J. Nabozny
Battle Creek - Marty D. Whalen
Bay City - Rosalinn I. Hardy
Beaverton - Susan J. Walker
Belleville - John R. Cast
Berkley - Daniel J. Monaco
Berkley - Chet Ostrowski
Bronson - Al Sosinski
Brownstown Township - Mark D. Johnson
Byron Center - Alicia S. Foote
Cadillac - Roger A. Fauble
Calumet - Marc J. Norton
Canton - Luther A. Bradley
Carleton - Michael R. Norgren
Caro - Manuel J. Sapien
Carsonville - William E. Wheat
Cass City - Russell P. Biefer
Cassopolis - Jim Foster
Cassopolis - Gerald Stewart
Cheboygan - Stephen R. Warren
Clark Lake - James M. McKinley
Clarkston - Kurt N. Haines
Columbiaville - Lenny Chaltraw
Concord - Kelly Khon
Crystal - James L. Brown
Dearborn - Barry M. Morang
Detroit - Walter R. Strong Jr.
DeWitt - Scott A. Helmic
Dorr - Lynne F Hunter
East Jordan - Peter A. Elliott
Escanaba - Scott E. Kwarciany
Farmington Hills - Raymond Washington Jr.
Fenton - Juli A. Brown
Fenton - Wayne M. Mentier
Flat Rock - Nichole Mullins
Flushing - Brian R. Conover
Flushing - Matthew D. McLaughlin
Flushing - William R. White
Fort Gratiot - Steven P. Goudy
Fraser - Nicole D. Cuello La O
Fremont - Ann L. Pell
Fremont - Randall W. Pell
Fruitport - Shaun M. Danicek
Gaylord - Kent Bowen
Grand Ledge - Bruce A. Vida Jr.
Grand Rapids - Michael A. Bauer
Grand Rapids - Thomas V. Oliver
Grand Rapids - Darrian C. Thompson
Grandville - Michael S. Baio
Grandville - Robert J. Powers
Greenville - John J. Forton
Grosse Pointe Shores - Daniel F. Moffitt
Haslett - Brian M. Smith
Hillsdale - Joe P. Burkhart
Holland - Rick P. Haskins
Howard City - Alan J. Parker
Indian River - Thomas B. Stone
Ionia - Denny M. Ferguson
Ionia - Steven L. Gross
Ionia - Tim J. Swain
Ira - Harry A. Thomas Jr.
Iron River - Crystal L. Bongi
Jackson - Everton G. Davidson Sr.
Jackson - Brian A. Draper
Jackson - Tony W. Griggs
Jenison - Leisa A. Lobbezoo
Kalamazoo - Priscilla L. Bagley
Kalamazoo - Brent J. Bos
Kalamazoo - Cory M. Hinga
Kalamazoo - Susan M. Riksen
Kalamazoo - Daniel B. Stahr
Kimball - Clarence Wendell II
Lansing - Jerry L. Armstrong
Lansing - Richard C. Preston
LaPorte - Kendall L. Schaeffer
Livonia - Kire Bosnjakovski
Macomb - Dennis M. Kennedy
Marquette - Steven Paul Ritenour
Mason - Kirk R. Petee
Mason - Donald R. Sherwood
Mattawan - Anthony W. Coulter
Midland - Edward E. Saunders
Millington - Gailan R. Reinert
Monroe - Daniel W. Jukuri
Monroe - Marvin A. Krueger
Montague - Darric E. Roesler
Mt. Clemens - Jack C. Robinson
Mt. Pleasant - Todd Heller
Muskegon - James A. Allen Jr.
Muskegon - Lon C. Cross
Muskegon - Kevin D. Floyd
Muskegon - Matthew R. Koekkoek
North Branch - Jason Castle
North Branch - Lyle D. Jamison
Norvell - Trenton A. Withrow
Onsted - David C. Lauer
Petoskey - Gregory B. Brown
Pickford - Vance M. Barber
Pierson - Andrew D. Paulen
Port Austin - Michael L. Rea
Portage - Thomas L. Crook
Portage - Scott A. Muffley
Portland - Michael J. Hilley
Rochester Hills - Kevin M. May
Romulus - Victor R. Lambert
Rudyard - Sarah E. Kwiatkowski
Saginaw - Scott R. Helmka
Saginaw - Jeremy M. Mueller
Sanford - Keith Steele Stewart
Sault Ste. Marie - Todd M. Menard
Schoolcraft - Paul M. Rigby
Scottville - Nicholas T. Marshall
Shelby - Thomas E. Morningstar
South Haven - Wayne A. Wilkinson
South Lyon - Julie L. Fisette
South Lyon - Jason E. Rigley
Southfield - Kim F. Bell
Southfield - Thomas E. Marshall
Southfield - Kendall G. Sherman
Southfield - Jerome A. Shipp
Spring Lake - Marty D. Gravelyn Sr.
Spring Lake - Patrick N. Stegeman
St. Clair Shores - Michael Drake
St. Clair Shores - James E Haddad
St. Clair Shores - Randy Stuart
St. Ignace - Stacy McNamara-Perry
St. Louis - Julie G. Anderson
Sterling Heights - James P. Collier
Stevensville - Ron A. Waldvogel
Swartz Creek - Tashema M. Hayter
Sylvania - Gary F. Grycza
Taylor - Michael A. Daniel
Trenton - William T. Sanfilippo
Troy - Anthony T. Howard
Vermontville - Brian A. Hopkins
Waterford - Jeffrey P. Harnack
Weidman - John A. Cotter
West Bloomfield - Dennis J. Hannon
West Bloomfield - Michael Tarnopol
West Branch - Harold W. Wangler
West Olive - Jan Milek
West Olive - Cort E. Musolf
West Olive - Dan D. Zwick
Westland - Stephen R. Shiner
Westland - Mark J. Wludyka
Williamston - Roger F. Blasey
Wyoming - Bradley T. Brunet
Wyoming - Dennis J. Hodges
30 YEAR OFFICIALS
Allegan - Thomas D. Collins
Alpena - Terry W. King
Battle Creek - Damon J. Fox
Battle Creek - James R. Hughes
Bay City - Raul Gonzales
Bay City - Paul L. Sevilla
Bay City - Holly L. Watson
Bear Lake - Ross E. Schuch
Belleville - James M. Neal
Bloomfield Hills - Bette Norman
Brooklyn - Kevin R. Carpenter
Caledonia - Greg L. Pilbeam
Calumet - Sean D. Jacques
Carleton - Rick Grant
Carney - Paul A. Polfus
Charlotte - Ronald B. Beegle
Commerce Township - Brian R. Conley
Comstock Park - Robert L. Neier
Comstock Park - Terri L. Richards
Davison - Michael E. McKenna
Detroit - Troy Campbell
Detroit - Johnny P. Green
Detroit - John L. Walton
DeWitt - Dennis M. Beecham
Dowagiac - William J. Ward
Dundee - Robert L. Kroeger
East Leroy - Dale A. Traister
Eastpointe - David W. Vojinov
Edwardsburg - Roger A. Hostetler
Escanaba - Raymond Robitaille
Farmington Hills - Derek S. Adolf
Farmington Hills - David P. Drake
Farwell - Fred L. Witchell
Fenton - Earl L. Coad
Flint - Anthony A. Lewis
Flint - Michael L. Tipton
Flint - Gregory G. Waller
Fort Gratiot - Lowell W. Spiess
Goodrich - Kathleen S. Schollar
Grand Haven - Mark Knopf
Grand Rapids - Dawn D. Brackmann
Grand Rapids - Michael S. Dolce
Grand Rapids - James G. VanEenennaam
Grandville - Gary A. Jandernoa
Granger - Richard A. Cox
Hastings - Mark E. Martin
Holland - Duane D. Baker
Holland - Robert J. Durham
Holland - Brent T. Gawlik
Holt - David P. Gonzalez
Jenison - Jack H. Blauwkamp
Kalamazoo - Mark B. Heineman
Kalamazoo - Paul E. Kampen
Kalamazoo – R. Scott Ryder
Kalamazoo - Bradley J. Stapert
Kewadin - Jan R. Veliquette
Lacota - Ted S. Krzemen Jr.
Lansing - Robert C. Troub
Livonia - David C. Robitaille
Lowell - Randall C. Halstead
Marne - Mary J. Gavin
Marquette - Scot C. Fure
Midland - Cathy L. Bourne
Midland - Brian L. Taglauer
Monroe - Ben F. Budzios
Monroe - James O. Bunkelman
Naubinway - Elmer H. Albright
New Lothrop - Richard L. Ustishen
Norway - Donald R. Lofholm
Owosso - Randy L. Nesbit
Petoskey - Mark W. Lennemann
Plainwell - Nancy J. Snyder
Plymouth - Michael J. Craig
Rogers City - Valerie S. Peacock
Romulus - Debbie L. Dick
Royal Oak - Michael C. DeVuyst
Sandusky - Daniel W. Guibord
Sault Ste. Marie - Anthony D. Abramson
Shelby Township - Rock Dedvukaj
Shelby Township - Donald E. Schima
Southfield - Steven E. Woodfork
St. Clair Shores - Joseph S. Denomme
St. Louis - Matthew T. Chovanec
Sterling Heights - Martin A. Hacias
Sterling Heights - Brian S. Hopp
Stevensville - Charles D. Jager
Tecumseh - Lori Spotts
Thompsonville - Scott W. Lonoconus
Toledo - Thomas P. Donovan
Walker - Joseph A. Geluso
Warren - Kenneth A. Seidenwand
Waterford - Charles A. Inama
Waterford - Christopher P. Lund
Watervliet - Brian E. Hall
Wayne - Dan F. Kimberlin
West Bloomfield - Bernard Muhammad
Williamston - Norman H. Gozalka
Wyoming - Jon M. Hendrickson
Ypsilanti - Howard Portis
40 YEAR OFFICIALS
Adrian - Darwin L. Hukill
Alger - Leroy A. Oliver
Alpena - Phil C. Schultz
Bay City - Brian F. Dugan
Berrien Springs - Jamie L. Stacey
Big Rapids - Jill E. Baker-Cooley
Brighton - Thomas J. Mora
Cadillac - William T. Bartholomew
Caledonia - Conroy Zuiderveen
Cass City - Craig A. Weaver
Cheboygan - Lynwood Leightner Jr.
Concord - Charles T. Ewing
Crystal - Bruce E. Waldron Sr.
Daggett - Michael P. Lyons
Davisburg - William J. Davis
DeWitt - Perry M. Costello
Eaton Rapids - David E. Harns
Essexville - Robert J. Adamowski
Flushing - Dennis L. Harland
Franklin - Fred Tenorio
Galesburg - William W. Weese
Grand Blanc - Roy H. Linkowski
Holland - Fred C. Schmitt
Ionia - Kaye Breining
Jackson - David L. Clouse
Jackson - Chuck D. Walters
Kalamazoo - Willie B. Watson
Lake Orion - Michael J. Callahan
Lansing - Michael R. Conlin
Lansing - David D. Shipman
Lewiston - Jim Hilgendorf
Manistee - Jo L. Arnold
Marshall - Linda K. Hoover
Marysville - Thomas J. Ridas
Midland - Robert Baillie
Midland - Ken P. Beaudin
Midland - Eldon J. Dean
Midland - James A. Gillis
Monroe - Barry P. Little
Nashville - Brian D. Pufpaff
Okemos - Jay Marcotullio
Otisville - Douglas R. Fillmore
Plymouth - Henry L. George Jr.
Portage - Mike T. Hinga
Ravenna - Thomas C. Wright
Riverview - Ronald J. Barger
Rochester - Brian E. York
Rochester Hills - Fred B. Castelvetere
Saginaw - Brian D. Wakeman
Sandusky - Alan DeMott
Shelby - Edmundo Flores
South Haven - Patrick J. Conroy
Southgate - Douglas M. Pastor
St. Clair Shores - Tom P. Frattini
St. Ignace - Donald P. Gustafson
St. Joseph - David J. Buck
St. Louis - Kathleen V. Hutfilz
Toledo - Jon Everhart
Traverse City - Mark E. Stewart
Trenton - Daniel K. Whaley
Wallace - Bruce A. Pearson
Waterford - Mark W. Richer
Westland - Robert W. Allen
White Cloud - Tony A. McHattie
Whitmore Lake - David L. Wint
Wyandotte - Thomas S. Palamara
45 YEAR OFFICIALS
Ada - Bryan D. Cullens Jr.
Adrian - Judith A. Walter-Kohn
Albion - Raymond Drysdale
Alpena - David M. Kuznicki
Battle Creek - Steven K. Higgs
Birmingham - Robert S. Stark
Britton - Kenneth W. Kormos
Brooklyn - Michael Timms
Burton - Patrick M. O'Reilly
Byron Center - Andrew J. DeVries
Calumet - Bruce Coppo
Canton - Dennis J. Bostwick
Canton - Terry A. Wash
Carrollton - Ralph S. Gnotek
Chesterfield - Harold T. Younce
Davison - James L. Eastman
Dearborn Heights - Lou Giroux
East Leroy - James Alday
Fenton - Martin R. Covert
Grandville - Pat Folkertsma-Garrett
Grandville - Andrew J. Kovac
Grosse Pointe Park - Mike C. Dempsey
Holland - Bruce E. Kruithoff
Holly - Paul W. Matson
Hudsonville - Allan J. Owens
Lexington - Richard R. Hug
Livonia - Ann K. Hutchins
Macomb - Ronald L. Minoletti
Marquette - Leonard M. Angeli
Middleville - Bruce F. Bender
Milan - Brad D. Susterka
Mio - Edwin L. Cline
Monroe - Eric E. Jenkins
Mt. Pleasant - Dale P. Brecht
Mt. Pleasant - James R. MacLean II
Muskegon - Craig W. Weirich
Newaygo - Dave Baldus
Norway - Milt J. Krznarich
Petoskey - Edward L. Gunderson
Portage - Allan R. Thompson
Rives Junction - Dale A. Baum
Rochester Hills - Tom Delia Jr.
Royal Oak - Byron A. Photiades
Saginaw - Ronald L. Dressler
Saugatuck - Catherine Dritsas
South Haven - Henry L. Allen
Swartz Creek - Larry L. Schutt
Tawas City - Robert L. Ritsema
Troy - Kenyon D. Shively
Warren - Hugh R. Jewell
Waterford - Frederick A. Cohen
Wayland - Norman L. Taylor
Wyoming – H. Joseph Perrin
50 YEAR OFFICIALS
Canton - Pamela G. Yockey
Dryden - Louis W. Miramonti
Grand Rapids - Robert J. Rodenhouse
Holt - Denny Fulk
Jackson - Dennis K. Lautzenheiser
Lakeport - Donna H. Frohm
Lansing - Donald R. Murray
Lansing - Darwin S. Petersen
Negaunee - Rodney J. Guizzetti Sr.
Portage - William H. Rapley Jr.
Spring Lake - Daniel L. Bouma
Toledo - William J. Lauer
Warren - Dolores A. Marquis
PHOTO: (Top) David Buck officiates a 2013 Class C Boys Basketball Semifinal between Flint Beecher and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central at the Breslin Center.
Hoping to be 'Hardly Noticed,' 50-Year Official Allen Certainly Recognizable, Respected
By
Mike Dunn
Special for MHSAA.com
December 18, 2025
Editor's Note: An extended version of this article appeared originally in the Cadillac News in March. Since then, Allen has been inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Hall of Honor in October and is wearing the striped shirt again this basketball season, officially his 50th year.
CADILLAC – Bill Allen’s story is similar to that of many area sports officials, particularly those officials who have been active for many years.
A background in sports, typically playing team sports while growing up, combined with a desire to continue to be involved after high school or college, coupled with an inner urge to be part of the solution – these characteristics find a natural outlet for those brave souls who choose to be officials. and these traits are nearly always part of the make-up of the officials who receive high grades for their efforts and serve capably for many years.
Allen, of Cadillac, would not say this about himself. But he is one of those officials whom coaches are glad to see on the floor because they know they’re getting someone who will be fair and consistent. The same could also be said of Allen when he was umpiring, though he doesn’t work the diamonds anymore.
As Allen can tell you as he enters his 50th year wearing the striped shirt on the hardwood, officiating is a demanding vocation – and it is rewarding at the same time. It requires the right temperament as well as an above-average level of mental and physical fitness, especially as age makes its inevitable demands. It requires the ability to make decisions quickly, sometimes under very stressful conditions. It requires the ability to face criticism, sometimes expressed loudly or very loudly. It requires the ability to be a peacemaker at times and also the willingness not to hold grudges or become petty.
For those like Allen who have what it takes, those who are up to the challenges and the rigors that officiating requires from an individual, there is a deep satisfaction in knowing they are making a positive difference.
“I think that’s a common thread among all the officials, whether it’s basketball or baseball or softball,” Allen said. “You obviously want to do your best, but you want to manage the game in a way that helps it to flow the way it should flow and enables everyone, the players and the coaches and the fans, to get the most out of it.
“It’s an old cliché but it’s true: The best officials are the ones you hardly notice. If you can officiate a game and walk through the crowd afterward and no one recognizes you, then you’ve probably done your job pretty well that game. That’s what every official strives for.
“You’re never going to get every call right, and you have to be willing to accept that going into it,” he added. “But you know the rules and apply the rules the best you can, you put yourself in the best position to make the calls, especially in basketball, and you call it the way you see it.
“Are you always right? No. But if you put yourself in the right position and make the call you believe is correct, you can live with that and normally the coaches can too, even if they’re angry about a particular call in the moment.”
Allen, like most officials, was an athlete himself growing up in Traverse City and playing multiple sports for what was then known as Traverse City High School, the largest high school in Michigan in the early 1970s. By his own admission, he wasn’t one of the top stars in basketball and baseball but he was a good, reliable player for his coaches and a dependable teammate who loved the atmosphere of the arena during each season as well as the sense of achievement that the act of competing brought out in him like nothing else.
“I was pretty athletic growing up, but not a great athlete at Traverse City High School,” he said. “I was good enough to make the teams, but I wasn’t what you would call an impact player. A lot of officials have the same kind of background as mine. Maybe we weren’t the greatest players, but we still enjoy sports and we like being part of the action.”
It was during his final two years at Michigan State during the mid-1970s that Allen received his start in officiating.
“In my junior year at Michigan State, one of the fellows I roomed with did assignments for the intramural programs at the college,” he said. “Everything from touch football to basketball to slow-pitch softball. He told me to take the officiating class and he would assign me to games, and that’s how it all started 50 years ago.”
Allen jumped into the world of officiating eagerly with both feet, working a sporting event “nearly every night” at MSU.
“I would go to school during the day, ref at night, and do it again the next day,” he recalled.
“There were so many contests, maybe thousands, that I got to work with a number of other officials. Tim McClelland, who later became a Major League umpire and made the illegal pine tar bat call against George Brett, was a colleague back then. It was a lot of good experience and good mentoring and laid a great foundation for what turned out to be ahead.”
Allen initially earned a degree in criminal justice, graduating from Michigan State University in 1977, and worked in the field of corrections for a period of time before his love of baseball and a sense of personal confidence in his potential to officiate at a higher level prompted him to attend a school for prospective umpires in Daytona Beach, Fla.
That didn’t quite work out, but Allen was not deterred. He changed his career plans from criminal justice to education, and the switch would also lead to abundant opportunities for officiating down the road not just on the baseball and softball diamonds but the basketball court as well.
“When I didn’t get picked (for umpiring), I went back to school to earn my teaching certificate and a graduate degree in history with the goal of becoming a teacher at Cadillac,” he explained. Allen’s wife Sue already was employed as a teacher with the school district.
Bill’s goal at that point was to join Sue as a member of the faculty, as a social studies teacher, and that’s just what happened. Bill served for 26 years in the classroom before retiring along with Sue 12 years ago.
“I viewed Cadillac schools as a great organization to work for as a teacher before I got hired there, and I was right,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade my years at Cadillac for anything. Susie and I both thoroughly enjoyed our years there.”
In conjunction with teaching, Allen continued to officiate basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring and summer. He umpired a lot of men’s summer league softball games through the years and grew to love in particular working the games under the lights at Cadillac’s Lincoln Field.
He also became a registered official with the MHSAA and has continued in that role, though he decided to hang up his umpire cleats a few years ago.
“I registered with the MHSAA while I was still in Lansing,” he said. “The first place I ever did a sanctioned event was in Perry, Michigan. I had barely enough (umpiring) equipment and I’m sure I looked like a real yahoo out there, but I got through it.”
After coming to Cadillac, Allen met Dave Martin, who was an active official and a fellow teacher at Marion, and Martin became his first “crew chief.”
“They needed some JV officials and I got signed up and was off and running,” Allen recalled. “That’s how you got into it back then. You found a crew and the crew chief assigned you some games, and you were evaluated. As long as they liked you and liked what you were doing, they kept you around.”
Allen expressed admiration and appreciation for Martin and also the late June Helmboldt from Lake City, another crew leader “who had a great perspective on the game.”
Allen served as a crew chief himself for a long time and has built rewarding relationships with fellow officials through the years. He has worked many games with Penny McDonald of Cadillac, another longtime official who has earned much respect for her consistency and quality of work in multiple sports over the decades. Allen, in a reversal of roles, is the one receiving assignments from McDonald these days.
Bill Bartholomew is another longtime officiating partner with whom Allen has worked many games over the years and for whom Allen has great respect. This school year, in fact, marks Bartholomew’s 51st year as an official. There are a few others from northern Michigan who have stood the test of time and have passed the 50-year service milestone, such as Paul Williams of Mesick, Tom Post and Mike Muldowney of Traverse City, Tom Johnson of Gaylord, and Dan Aldrich of Charlevoix. All of these, Allen said, are a credit to the craft of officiating and have earned the respect they receive.
Allen also has fond memories of working frequently through the years with Don Blue of Falmouth and Jill Baker-Cooley of Big Rapids, who was chosen for the MHSAA’s prestigious Vern L. Norris Award in 2018.
“I was there when Don and Julie and Penny all got their start in officiating, and they all found their skill set and became excellent officials,” Allen said.
Bill is included in the 50-year milestone group of basketball officials now that the 2025-26 season is underway. He is pleased that he has been able to maintain his longevity; as to the future, he is ready and willing to keep going.
“As long as I’m healthy and can do it properly, I hope to continue,” said Allen, who remains physically fit, jogging regularly along with activities including downhill skiing in the winters and golf during the warmer months.
“I’ll know when it’s time to step aside. When I can’t see well enough to judge the baseline and need to rely on my partners more than I should, then it’s time to hang up the whistle and let the younger ones take over. I hope that’s not for a while though.”
Mike Dunn is a sportswriter for the Cadillac News and the sports editor of the Missaukee Sentinel weekly. He has won numerous awards through the Michigan Press Association as well as the Michigan Associated Press.
PHOTOS (Top) Cadillac’s Bill Allen, shown here following a varsity girls basketball game in February in Evart, is in his 50th year as an MHSAA registered official. (Middle) Allen waits at the baseline for action to resume. (Below) Allen talks casually with McBain Northern Michigan Christian boys assistant coach Terry Pluger prior to the start of the varsity game with Buckley on Dec. 8. (Photos by Mike Dunn.)