The Fiery and Fickle Relationship Between College Basketball Coaches and Refs

Posted Mar 7, 2019
“Dean Smith said to me after he was retired, ‘John, that night we played Clemson, you called that block/charge and that was the wrong call,'’’ says John Clougherty, a referee for 30 years who later spent 11 years as the ACC’s director of officiating. Smith was referencing a game from the 1980s. “And I’m thinking, I’ve had 15,000 block/charges. But he remembers that.” (Sports Illustrated)

Related: Basketball, Basketball Recruiting

Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Sayon Keita Surges Into UNC Spotlight
Could freshman center Sayon Keita emerge as UNC Basketball's most important player this season? Isaac Schade and Jonathan Adams discuss Keita's breakout performances, his shot-altering...
Wed Oct 21, 2026

Silent but strong, Alex Samodurov has succeeded overseas. Now he’s in the Hill.
Alexandros Samodurov is preparing for his first season on the North Carolina men’s basketball team, bringing four years of professional basketball experience in Greece and...
Wed Oct 21, 2026

After years of false hope, Chicago Bulls first-round pick Caleb Wilson feels inevitable
All eyes will be on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, when Caleb Wilson and his teammates tip off the 2026-27 regular season against the Raptors...
Wed Oct 21, 2026

Playing in a packed Smith Center is a dream come true for Terrence Brown
From Fairleigh Dickinson to Utah to North Carolina, one may wonder when it will hit Terrence Brown just how far his college basketball journey has...
Wed Oct 21, 2026