DALLAS – Conference USA announced today the hiring of Mike Defee as the league’s Coordinator of Football Officials.
Defee is a highly decorated official who brings 19 years of field experience as a collegiate official to C-USA, and since 2020, he has been involved with the National Football League. He worked four years as a back judge and one year as a referee in the Southland Conference (2001-05), followed by four years as a back judge and 10 years as a referee in the Big 12 (2006-19).
Defee joined the NFL in 2020 as a Coach/Trainer, specifically working with the league’s younger referees on development, leadership and game management, and he will enter his second season in that role in 2021.
“Conference USA is excited to partner with Mike. His experience, passion and leadership makes him an outstanding person to lead our football officiating program,” said Tre Stallings, C-USA Associate Commissioner.
“I am excited for the opportunity to lead and develop Conference USA’s football officiating program,” said Defee. “I look forward to working with our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and officials. Our officiating program will be based on honesty and transparency. Our focus will be on the training and development of our officials with an emphasis placed on accuracy and consistency.”
Among Defee’s postseason experience includes serving as the referee for the 2017 CFP National Championship game, and he was the alternate referee for both the 2015 CFP and 2012 BCS National Championship games. He worked a total of five Big 12 Championship games, receiving referee assignments for two of those occasions. Defee also worked eight bowl games and two FCS Playoff games, including seven as a referee.
Additionally, the Beaumont, Texas native was the president of the Big 12 Football Officials Association during his last four years with the conference, and he served on the board of the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO) as an elected official for five years.
Defee is just the third person to hold the position in C-USA’s 26-year history. Jim Campbell held the role from the league’s inception until 2001. Gerald Austin served in the capacity from 2001 to 2020.
About Conference USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Dallas, Texas, that services 14 institutions of higher education – Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU. Now in its third decade, Conference USA has adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community.
-ConferenceUSA.com-
