The ‘extraordinary life’ of Ed Maracich
As a longtime Big Ten referee, Calumet Park native even earned praise from Bobby Knight
When Ed Maracich decided to become an referee, it was a way for him to earn a few extra bucks and stay involved in sports.
Ed and his wife, Dolores, eventually raised seven children in Calumet Park. That was a costly responsibility, even in the 1960s and 1970s.
Every bit of extra cash helped pay the bills and provide a better life for the family.
Little did Maracich know at the time, but his journey as an official, which included 24 years of Big Ten men’s basketball and 15 of Big Ten football, would provide him with lifelong memories and friendships money couldn’t buy.
Maracich died on Feb. 3 at age 92.
“My father lived an extraordinary life,” Mike Maracich said of his dad. “He made friends all over the country.”
Tom O’Neill was a Division I men’s basketball official for 44 years. By O’Neill’s count, he and Maracich worked more than a dozen games together.
O’Neill recalled a sound bit of advice Maracich gave him.
“Ed told me early on in my career, ‘It’s only a game. Don’t take things home with you,’” O’Neill said. “That put things in the proper perspective. It was great advice.
“Without a doubt, Ed was one of the most underrated referees in the history of the NCAA. He was so consistent. And coaches appreciated that. I didn’t know a college coach who didn’t like him.”
That included Indiana men’s basketball coaching legend Bobby Knight, who had plenty of run-ins during his career with officials. And Knight certainly bent the ear of Maracich a time or two.
In 2015, Knight wrote Maracich a letter which, among other things read, “During my forty years in coaching, you were one of the very best that there was.”
High praise, indeed. Maracich refereed in 10 NCAA men’s basketball tournaments and the National Invitation Tournament seven times.
In football, he officiated the 1981 Rose Bowl, the 1984 Peach Bowl and the 1987 Liberty Bowl.
To make it to the top of the college mountain as an official in one sport is a rare achievement. To do it two sports is remarkable.
“It’s very hard to do,” O’Neill said. “Think about it. You’re working nine months out of the year, plus he had a regular job. But Ed did it, and he was highly, highly respected in both sports.”
For Maracich, who retired as an account executive for a local title and trust company, his love of sports and responsibility to provide for his family made the grind a joy.
According to his son Mike, one of his father’s proudest achievements was being inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
“To be inducted into the same Hall of Fame as Mike Ditka, my dad thought that was really special,” Mike said. “My dad officiated a lot of the greats like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. He developed friendships with Harry Caray and Johnny ‘Red’ Kerr. He had an amazing life.”
It was a life that began in Bridgeport, where he developed a love for sports. A graduate of Tilden, Maracich earned a basketball scholarship to Loyola and was the starting point guard for two seasons.
It was at Loyola where he met Jack Schuberth. The two forged a friendship that lasted 71 years.
Schuberth talked to his pal on Jan. 31.
“You name it and we did it,” Schuberth said. “We had so many laughs. He had a wit that never ended, and that helped him to deal with college coaches.
“He was an outstanding and respected official. He accomplished a lot. But he stayed humble. It was never about him. When we last talked, his last words to me were, ‘I love you, Jack.’”
Schuberth’s voice began to crack as he gathered him emotions. A decadeslong friendship can make even the strongest vulnerable.
“I’m going to miss him,” he said.
Maracich will be missed by many, but none more than by his wife of 67 years. Maracich met Dolores after one of his 16-inch softball games. Six months later, they were married.
She was the love of his life.
“He was a great husband and father,” Mike Maracich said.
Ed Maracich liked to tell his children that, “Life’s only what you make of it. So take it and make it beautiful.”
He practiced what he preached for 92 years.