Bobby Dibler named 2019 Naismith Men’s College Official of the Year
Bobby Dibler has another honor to add to his long list of accolades.
Tuesday, Dibler was named the 2019 Naismith Men’s College Official of the Year.
The Naismith Official of the Year award recognizes individuals who display character, integrity and dignity and have contributed mightily to the growth, success and viability of college basketball.
To be eligible, an individual must have been involved with the sport as a game official for a minimum of 20 years and worked both the NCAA Tournament and a conference tournament as a game official.
Dibler officiated his first NCAA division one men’s basketball game in 1973, and he continued calling games until 1993.
He’s officiated 14-NCAA tournaments, including 2 championship games.
Dibler currently serves as a coordinator of basketball officials that oversees 6 conferences, which includes the PAC 12, the Mountain West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference.
“I’m kind of a borderline workaholic kind of a guy. I’m a real student of the game and I have a great passion for basketball,” Dibler said. “But I was very humbled. I just never expected something like this, but it happened and I feel very blessed.”
Already a member of the El Paso Athletic Hall of fame, Dibler was inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of fame in Amarillo on Feb. 10.
Dibler was a star at Amarillo High School who would later join Don Haskins at Texas Western after playing in junior college.
Interestingly enough, Dibler’s Amarillo team played against Haskins when Haskins was the head coach of Dumas High School.
Dibler would be a key contributor on the 1963-64 Texas Western team which made the NCAA Tournament but lost to Kansas State. Even so, it’s still regarded as one of the best teams in school history.
