Gerald Austin

Note: Gerald Austin retired following the 2007 season, but will remain the officiating coordinator for Conference USA.

Dr. Gerald Austin, sometimes referred to as Gerry Austin, is an American football official in the National Football League (NFL) since 1982. Austin has officiated in three Super Bowls, two as a referee and one as a side judge. He wears the uniform number 34.

Austin is graduate of Western Carolina University and has a doctorate in Educational Administration and Social Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Before joining the NFL, Austin served nine years as a basketball and football official in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was assigned to officiate in the 1978 Liberty Bowl and the 1977 Orange Bowl.

Austin began working in the NFL as a side judge where he officiated Super Bowl XXIV in 1990 before being promoted to the referee position beginning with the 1990 NFL season upon the death of referee Dick Jorgensen, who, ironically, was the referee in Super Bowl XXIV. Austin worked his first Super Bowl as a referee in 1997 at Super Bowl XXXI and his second appearance was at Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. He served as an alternate referee in 1995 at Super Bowl XXIX. He most recently was selected to referee the 2006 Pro Bowl. Austin is the 2005 recipient of the Art McNally Award.

Outside of the NFL, Austin is a retired public school administrator and coordinator of football officials for Conference USA. He resides in Greensboro, North Carolina and has four children and eight grand-children.