NEW YORK – The NBA announced today that Monty McCutchen, one of the league’s highest rated and most respected referees, has been named Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training.

In his new role, McCutchen will oversee the day-to-day management and on-court performance of the NBA’s officiating staff.  He will succeed Bob Delaney, who stepped down in October after 30 years with the NBA.

An NBA referee for 25 seasons, McCutchen will step away from officiating games to assume the position with the league office immediately.  He worked his final game on Thursday night in Minnesota.

McCutchen will report to new Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Operations Michelle D. Johnson, a retired Lieutenant General and the first female superintendent of the Air Force Academy.  Johnson was named to her post in October as part of a redesign of the NBA Referee Operations management team, which also included the appointment of Byron Spruell as President, League Operations in June 2016.

“Monty has earned the respect of players, coaches and his peers during an exemplary career as an NBA official,” said Johnson.  “He understands as well as anyone what it takes to be an outstanding referee and how the league can best support its officials.  With his wealth of insight and experience, Monty is uniquely suited for a leadership role in our officiating program.”

McCutchen, 51, has officiated more than 1,400 regular-season games since joining the NBA for the 1993-94 season.  He has also worked 169 NBA playoff games, including 16 games in The Finals; both totals are the fourth-most among active officials.  Last season, he called Game 3 of The Finals 2017 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to channel my passion for the officiating profession in a new way,” said McCutchen.  “While I’ll miss officiating games, I’m grateful to continue working with our incredibly talented referee staff as part of an organization so dedicated to excellence and innovation.”

A native of San Angelo, Texas, McCutchen earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Speech Communication from the University of Texas at Arlington.