KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Having demonstrated a passion for the stewardship of men’s college basketball, University of Colorado head coach Tad Boyle has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 NABC Guardians of the Game Award for Advocacy presented by CoPeace.
Boyle will receive the award on Sunday, April 5 in Atlanta at the AT&T NABC Guardians of the Game Awards Show at the Sidney Marcus Auditorium at the Georgia World Congress Center. The show, which begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT, is held during the annual NABC Convention in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four. The Guardians of the Game Pillar Awards are presented annually for advocacy, education, leadership and service – the four core values of the NABC.
The show will be broadcast live on Stadium (https://watchstadium.com).
Boyle, in his 10th season at Colorado, has demonstrated his commitment to the game of basketball beyond coaching the Buffs, serving as the Pac-12 congressman for the NABC and as the chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee.
“As our chair of the rules committee, Tad got an awful lot accomplished in a very efficient manner. His interest and curiosity on basketball is very broad and that focus is very much appreciated,” said Mike McGrath, head coach at the University of Chicago and a NABC board member who is also a member of the rules committee.
Under the guidance and leadership of Boyle, the committee moved the three-point line from 20-feet, nine inches to 22-feet, 1.75 inches; added video review of any goaltending/basket interference in the last two minutes and OT; and increased the flow of the game by resetting the shot clock from 30 to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound.
Additionally, the committee reversed a rule where coaches could not call a timeout during live game action. Now allowed to call a timeout in the last two minutes and overtime gives coaches some sense of control near the end of the game.
“Tad has that ability to foster discussion and conversation on a topic but then end it when it’s time to make a decision and vote,” said Dan Calandro, NCAA director of playing rules and officiating. “He also has a great ability to look at the rules across all NCAA divisions in basketball, hearing all perspectives and the impact on the game.”
“I’ve been working with the Rules Committee a long time and we have had a number of coaches who have been strong leaders as the chair. Tad Boyle is one of the best,” said NCAA Men’s Basketball Secretary-Rules Editor Art Hyland. “Many times during the season, I have to offer an interpretation and speak with the chair about a decision. Tad is always available to help with that, even on game day. That shows just how much he cares about the game.”
