NEW YORK (AP) – Dean Blandino, the NFL officiating director who has overseen rule changes that emphasized player safety, is leaving the league.
The 45-year-old Blandino wants to spend more time with his family and explore other opportunities. He has young children and the job demands limited his time with them and his wife.
He has been the league’s vice president of officiating since 2013. Blandino joined the NFL in 1994 as an intern and moved through the ranks.
“Dean has done an outstanding job leading our officiating department,” Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said Friday after informing the 32 teams of Blandino’s decision. “He has been a trusted colleague and a friend to so many of us around the league.
“Dean’s knowledge of the playing rules, his tireless commitment to improving the quality of NFL officiating, and his unquestioned dedication to his job has earned him the respect of the entire football community.”