Blandino leaves role with NFL

NEW YORK — 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 offici- ating 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.”

Blandino was an instant replay official from 19992003 and worked two Super Bowls and two conference championship games. He managed the NFL's instant replay program from 20032009, and from 2007-2009 he was director of officiating, supervising day-to-day operations and the game officials' schedule under Mike Pereira.

He left the NFL in 2009 to form his own company, returned in 2012 and succeeded Carl Johnson as chief of officiating the next year.

During his three years away from the NFL, Blandino launched “Under the Hood,” which provided training and evaluation for replay officials. His clients included the NFL and college conferences such as the Big Ten, Mid-American, Pac-12, Big 12, and Mountain West.