Dick Honig
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Honig was an American football official for 41 years with 22 years in the Big Ten Conference
(starting in 1983) and nine years in the Mid-American Conference
and 20 years as a basketball
referee
for the Mid-American Conference. Working over fifteen bowl game
s, Honig's final football game was the 2005 Sugar Bowl
between Virginia Tech and Auburn
. Honig's officiating career in Division I college football
spans over 350 games.
Dick began to play organized sports in high school and earned varsity letters in baseball
, basketball
, and football
, and he received All-City and All-State honors in baseball and basketball two years in a row.
Honig is a 1963 graduate of the University of Michigan
with bachelor's
and master's
degrees in Kinesiology
. He was an All-Big Ten shortstop
on the Wolverines national championship baseball team in 1962.
Dick coached for ten years at Michigan, as an assistant basketball coach and assistant baseball coach which also led to his officiating career since the coaches were also officials and to add to the salary since coaches were not paid well at the time, making just $5,400 a year.
Honig is still involved with the Big Ten Conference in a supervisory role and operates instant replay
during games. Dick also trains and assigns officials for the European Federation of American Football
, which he helped establish in 1988.
He also owns and operates Honig's Whistle Stop, an officials' supplies company, which he founded in 1984. Honig's has expanded its operation to eight branch offices throughout the United States and Canada, and is the uniform supplier for umpires working the College World Series
.
He and his wife, Liana, have four children and reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan
, where Honig's Whistle Stop's headquarters are located.
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
(starting in 1983) and nine years in the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
and 20 years as a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
referee
Official (basketball)
In basketball, an official is a person who has the responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, as well as other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game...
for the Mid-American Conference. Working over fifteen bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s, Honig's final football game was the 2005 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
between Virginia Tech and Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
. Honig's officiating career in Division I college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
spans over 350 games.
Dick began to play organized sports in high school and earned varsity letters in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and he received All-City and All-State honors in baseball and basketball two years in a row.
Honig is a 1963 graduate of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
with bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
degrees in Kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
. He was an All-Big Ten shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
on the Wolverines national championship baseball team in 1962.
Dick coached for ten years at Michigan, as an assistant basketball coach and assistant baseball coach which also led to his officiating career since the coaches were also officials and to add to the salary since coaches were not paid well at the time, making just $5,400 a year.
Honig is still involved with the Big Ten Conference in a supervisory role and operates instant replay
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
during games. Dick also trains and assigns officials for the European Federation of American Football
European Federation of American Football
The European Federation of American Football is the governing body of American football in Europe. It is recognized by the International Federation of American Football ....
, which he helped establish in 1988.
He also owns and operates Honig's Whistle Stop, an officials' supplies company, which he founded in 1984. Honig's has expanded its operation to eight branch offices throughout the United States and Canada, and is the uniform supplier for umpires working the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
.
He and his wife, Liana, have four children and reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, where Honig's Whistle Stop's headquarters are located.
Memorable Games
- During a 2002 game between IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
and Penn State, Honig was chased by Penn State head coach Joe PaternoJoe PaternoJoseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
following a 42-35 overtime victory by Iowa. Paterno was angered that Penn State wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Tony Johnson caught a pass for a first down with both feet in bounds according to the stadium's video replay board, but the play was ruled an incompletion. The image of the coaching legend running down the official was shown repeatedly on sports highlight shows throughout the 2002 season, as many found it both amusing and amazing that a man his age could run so fast. This game was also a cataylst for the adoption of instant replay in the Big Ten Conference beginning in 2003.