Bob Asmussen | It's official: Hall call signals Tomlinson ranks with best of basketball referees

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For more than 25 years, Joe T. was a fixture at area basketball courts. Always wearing a striped shirt and carrying a whistle.

In the spring, Champaign's Joe Tomlinson's work as a high school basketball official is being recognized. The longtime Champaign resident is a member of a stellar 2024 class entering the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

The ceremony is scheduled for May 4 at CEFCU Arena on the Illinois State University campus in Normal.

Others in Tomlinson's class include ex-Iowa star Acie Earl and former Illini Scott Meents and Roger Powell Jr., now the head coach at Valparaiso University.

All the honorees will gather on the basketball court for the induction ceremony.

Tomlinson found out he was under consideration for the Hall from former Mattoon High School coach Steve Simons. The next week, Tomlinson received official notice from the IHSA.

"I was very pleased," he said.

It isn't the first Hall of Fame for Tomlinson. He was honored earlier by the Bloomington-Normal Officials Association. But this is his first statewide recognition for basketball.

Tomlinson knows many of the officials who have been tabbed in the past by the IBCA, including Monticello's Steve Mitze and Champaign's Terry Holleman, who was inducted in 2023.

Tomlinson attended the ceremony to support his friend Holleman.

The IBCA Hall was founded in 1973. The News-Gazette sports department was honored by the IBCA as organization of the year in 2021.

So, how does one become a basketball official? For many, it starts with a playing career.

Tomlinson played basketball at Macon High School before continuing in the sport at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

Tomlinson later returned to Illinois to coach and teach. Starting in 1969, he worked at Centennial High School for 21 years as a teacher, coach, athletic director and assistant principal. Not all at once.

In 1990, he continued his career at the Mellon Building as assistant superintendent of human resources. He retired from the Unit 4 School District in 2000.

Why did Tomlinson become an official? Well, while working as an athletic director and assistant principal, he found himself missing the game action.

"I started officiating basketball just as a hobby," he said. "It just kept going and going."

In 1985, Tomlinson, Sam Banks, Roger Quinlan, Howard Owens and Bill Vangel founded the Illinois Basketball Officials Association.

"The motivation was to bring young officials in and help them grow," Tomlinson said.

The organization continues today.

Tomlinson's first game as an official was at the middle school/junior high level. He was paid about $15 to $20.

While the pay is always appreciated, it wasn't the reason Tomlinson officiated. He simply wanted to help with the sport.

Because of his role with Champaign schools. he didn't work in the city. So Tomlinson refereed at rural schools.

Later on, he officiated high school games in the Big 12 and the Capital conferences.

He worked about two or three games a week. In the 1990s, Tomlinson officiated games at the junior college and NCAA Division III levels.

He worked part of an Illinois game in 1989, Tomlinson was in the stands when he was called to the scorer's table. Two of the officials assigned to work the game between Illinois and Michigan were delayed by the weather.

"I did not most of the first half," Tomlinson said.

"All I could think of was 'Joe, don't screw this up. You've got to live here.'"

No problem. Lou Henson's Illinois team, ranked No. 2 at the time, beat No. 6 Michigan 84-69.

Career highlight

Tomlinson worked his way up the prep officiating ranks, handling big-school games.

In the state series, he advanced through regionals and sectionals over time.

In 1998 and '99, he was assigned two Class AA state tournaments in Peoria. In '98, he officiated the championship game between Chicago Whitney Young and Galesburg, won by Whitney Young 61-56.

"It was exciting," Tomlinson said. "That was the first year of the three-man crews.

"The state tournament was my goal."

Smooth sailing

Tomlinson managed to avoid any major travel issues during his officiating career and stayed fairly healthy in a profession that is hard on knees and backs.

One game in Charleston, Tomlinson accidentally stepped on a player's foot. He went down in a heap with a severely sprained ankle. He missed about a week before returning to the court.

Style-wise, Tomlinson was not confrontational with the coaches.

"I would listen to them because I felt like I didn't make every call that was correct," he said.

"A technical foul only goes to make the game worse in a lot of ways. I tried to avoid that."

He wasn't as patient with chirping assistant coaches.

"We would listen to the head coach, but not very long to the assistant coach," he said.

In a perfect world, the official will go unnoticed.

"As much as possible," Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson looks back fondly at his time in stripes. Because ...

"All of the relationships I had with coaches and officials," he said.

The 80-year-old Tomlinson stays active. He plays golf when the weather permits.

Since the late 1970s, Tomlinson has helped in the Memorial Stadium press box during Illinois football games. He is a spotter for public-address announcer Gene Honda.

Tomlinson attends Illinois basketball games with his wife of 38 years, Donna. They have five kids and two generations of grandkids.

Many of his family members will be in Normal for the May ceremony.

"It's a neat deal," Tomlinson said.