Ed Rush

ECOA Staff Member (2010-present)

Location: Coronado, CA

Former Recruiting and Development Director National Basketball Association
Former Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials Pac 12 Conference

Current: Founder and Director of Court Club / Success System For Basketball Officials
Current: Assistant Football Coach Bloomsburg University.

Ed T. Rush, began his career as an NBA official when he was hired in 1966 at 24 years of age. Rush was responsible for the ongoing recruitment, training and career development of the officiating staff of the NBA, WNBA and NBA-D League. Prior to joining the NBA league office as Director of Officiating in June of 1998, Rush spent 32 seasons on the court, officiating over 2000 regular season, 247 playoff and 32 NBA Finals games from 1966-67 through 1996-97. He also officiated the 1971, 1980, 1985, 1991 and 1996 NBA All-Star Games, the 1987 McDonald’s Championship in Milwaukee, the 1991 McDonald’s Championship in Paris, France, as well as the 1996 Japan Opening Games in Tokyo. Rush joined the NBA Basketball Operations department as the NBA/WNBA Director of Officiating on June 1, 1998. After his first eight seasons officiating in the NBA, Rush officiated three seasons in the ABA before returning to the NBA. Prior to becoming an official, he worked as a teacher and football coach at Marple-Newtown High School in suburban Philadelphia from 1964-67, and coached current Sacramento Kings General Manager Geoff Petrie as a quarterback at Springfield High School in 1964. A graduate of West Chester University in Pennsylvania in 1964, Rush played varsity football and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame. He recently funded an endowment for the Edward T. Rush Scholarship to provide need-based grants for West Chester’s basketball program. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Rush currently resides in Coronado Ca. with his wife, Trudy. They have four children “sons Ed Jr., Michael, and Jeff and daughter Ashley and seven grandchildren. He has been a keynote speaker for corporations and national organizations. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Valley of the Sun YMCA, West Chester University’s Rams Athletics Association, and the National Association of Sports Officials. He also works with college juniors and seniors in the area of career counseling. In 2009, Rush was named by Referee Magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in sports officiating history.

Rush wrote the book, “And One”, which is a success system guide for basketball officials. He founded Court Club, which is an ongoing online educational tool for basketball officials. In addition to his NBA duties, for the past eight years, Rush has served as assistant football coach at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Rush formerly served as Coordinator of Officials for the Pac 12 Conference.

Ed and Trudy fund the Edward T. Rush scholarship at West Chester University as well as Faith and Football scholarship at Bloomsburg University.
Rush has coached football at Bloomsburg since 2004. He has coached All Americans Jamar Brittingham and Dan Fisher.