NCAA supervisor of officials John Adams, who helped engineer rule change reform in college basketball, will retire following the 2015 Final Four, the NCAA announced Thursday.
Adams, who held the position since 2008, worked in conjunction with the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to choose officials for the tourney, but perhaps his biggest role was bringing more cohesive officiating to the college game.
Adams worked with conference coordinators, officials and coaches to establish points of emphasis, including the new handchecking rules that went into effect last season. He also refined how officials are evaluated, bringing uniformity across the country to the process, and developed online educational reference videos for officials to access.
The Indianapolis native, who served as an official in three different conferences before joining the NCAA, was a much-needed public face for NCAA officiating, willingly answering questions about issues and controversial decisions in the game.
"It felt like it was the right time," Adams told ESPN.com. "It's been an unbelievable ride and seven years is a good run. How else could someone like me get to be so close to the game of college basketball? And to be able to end it in Indy, at home, makes it all the better."
In his last season, Adams said there is still plenty of work to be done.
"We need to step up our efforts on rough post play, on illegal contact of players moving without the ball, and continue to educate on the block/charge call," he said.
Adams said he won't retire altogether, but will pursue different avenues to allow him to remain involved in the game.
The NCAA intends to begin a search for Adams' replacement this fall, with the intent of announcing a new hire during the upcoming basketball season.
"John has led the national program effectively, resulting in more consistency and clarity in officiating across the country," Dan Gavitt, the NCAA's vice president for men's basketball, said in a statement. "His effort in teaching a national standard for officiating fouls committed by on-ball defenders this season is an example of John's good work.
"During his tenure, officiating entered a significant new phase, with the growth of high definition broadcasts and instant replays. John's direct, accessible and energetic approach for developing officials and communicating with stakeholders helped usher NCAA officiating into this new era of increased accountability."