After more than five years as the NCAA Division II director of football officials, Mike Burton is retiring in June.
Mike Burton
Burton's relationship with the NCAA spans more than 50 years. Before serving in his present post, Burton, 79, spent 26 years as an on-field football official, 19 years as a Division II and Division III coordinator of football officials and five years as an observer/video reviewer for numerous football conferences and the NCAA.
Burton, a former high school English teacher, was named Teacher of the Year for the state of Washington in 1995 and earned numerous awards for his work as a speech and debate coach, including a Living Legends Award from the National Speech & Debate Association in 2007.
Burton's sports officiating career included calling two NCAA Division II playoff games, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship, nine high school state championships and five state semifinals before he transitioned into a supervisory role full time.
"I hope that I have left college football in a better place than when I started in 1974," Burton said. "I want to thank my officials, fellow administrators, friends in the football family, NCAA staff and especially my wife, Jan, for all the support they have given me over the years. It has been a great ride for these 50 years from being on the field to helping others improve. It has been a joy to be involved for these many years."
Randy L. Buhr, NCAA director of championships and alliances, praised Burton's work with college football.
"Mike has done an exceptional job as the Division II director of football officials since the position was created in 2019," Buhr said. "His service to college football and the NCAA Division II Football Championship has been tremendous. Mike has been a trusted and respected colleague for officials, conference coordinators, athletics administrators and the entire football community, not to mention for me personally. We will miss his leadership and dedication to advancing officiating nationally at the Division II level, and we wish him a great retirement."
A national search for Burton's replacement will begin soon.
