First & 10 – Interview with Errol Rogers, former UL women’s basketball coach

Daily Advertiser, Sept. 19, 2012

Story Provided by Kevin Foote. 

 

Errol Rogers, the former head coach of the UL Ragin’ Cajuns women’s basketball team, talks about life as a referee and how his experience as a coach helps him on the field when he’s officiating.

 

 

What have you been doing since coaching your last game with the Ragin’ Cajuns?

 

Spending time with my family and refereeing. I have a daughter playing basketball and a son playing football at Lafayette Christian Academy. I also have another daughter running track at Northside, so I’ve been spending a lot of time with them and trying to help them get better at what they do.

 

 

Once the high school football season is over, what will you be doing for work?

 

I’m coaching girls’ basketball at Vandebilt Catholic as an assistant coach and I’m loving it.

 

 

How long have you been refereeing high school football?

 

Officially I’ve been refereeing high school football for 23 years. I’ve referred games in Louisiana for 20 years and three years in Florida.

 

 

What made you decide to become a high school football referee?

 

Well it began when I was at UL as a student and I was refereeing intramural football. Tommy Garrett told me that I should do it, so I said why not. I like sports and I wanted to make some extra cash at the time while I was in school.

 

 

What is the best thing about being a high school football referee?

 

The idea of being around so many good athletes and honestly I just love being around the game of football.

 

 

In your time as a coach, especially on the high school level, you’ve been known to be pretty hard on officials. What’s it like being on the other side as an official?

 

It’s funny, because the coaches don’t bother me. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to be an official. It takes a lot of time to become really good at it. It’s not easy being an official, especially when you have to make a split-second decision.

 

 

As a former coach, do you find yourself to give coaches that are arguing more leeway with what they say and how they say it?

 

No, I wouldn’t say that. I’m not going to say that I give them more leeway, but I do listen a lot more. I do my very best not to take what they say personal. I can put up with it. It doesn’t bother me, but there is a line that you don’t want them to cross.

 

 

Do you believe you may have a better understanding of a coach’s point of view while on the field than maybe another official because of your experience as a coach?

 

I know that the coaches have a job to do. When I’m out there, I know that for me it is just something I do part-time. It’s a second job for us and not our primary job. But for these coaches, this is their livelihood and that’s what they are fighting for.

 

 

As a father of prep athletes, do you find yourself to be a little more accepting of trash-talking and other things that are said on the field by players?

 

No, not trash talking. My own son isn’t even allowed to trash talk. You are out there to play sports and now I understand that football is a contact sport and that players are going to talk a little bit more than in other sports, but I don’t believe in all of that. Just get out there and play.

 

 

What do you hope to accomplish as a referee before you decide to no longer do it?

 

My first goal is to try to make it to 30 years. I’ve been blessed to officiate two games in the dome, so my other goal is to hopefully get the opportunity to one day officiate a game in the dome as a white hat.