Hank Nichols, an American Hall of Fame college basketball referee and later supervisor of officials, died on March 27, 2026.
Nichols, whose full name was Henry Owen Nichols, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. He officiated 10 NCAA Final Fours, a record six NCAA men’s basketball national championships, three NIT finals, two Olympic Games and one European Championship.
He was also the first official to work both the NIT and NCAA championship finals in the same year and served as the first national coordinator of officials. Since 2004, Nichols had worked as an umpire observer for Major League Baseball.
Henry Owen Nichols (July 20, 1936 – March 27, 2026) was an American college basketball referee and later supervisor of officials. In 2012, he was inducted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Nichols is also a member of the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame, Villanova Athletic Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Athletic Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He officiated 10 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Fours, a record six NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championships, three NIT Finals, two Olympic Games and one European Championship. He was also the first official to work with both the NIT and NCAA Championship Basketball Finals in a single year, and the first National Coordinator of Officials. Since 2004, he has worked as an Umpire Observer for Major League Baseball.