‘Divine intervention’: Why Brian Brennan has officiated high school football for 54 seasons

The L.A. Times ran an article on Orange County’s high school football officials in 1971 and listed a name to contact for more information: John Dickey, secretary of the Orange County Football Officials Assn.

The article included Dickey’s home address — a house on Brenan Way.

“I felt there was some divine intervention,” Brian Brennan recalled, seeing his last name — albeit one letter off.

The 21-year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate knocked on Dickey’s door and introduced himself. Soon, Brennan was hired and hooked on officiating football. Fifty-four seasons later, he still is.

The spry 76-year-old with bushy gray hair growing horizontally off his head like a subdued Doc Brown is the white hat — the boss — on his crew. Brennan is in his third stint as OCFOA president and stands behind the quarterback for Friday night lights. When Capistrano Valley’s Todd Marinovich broke Pat Haden’s Southern Section career passing record in 1987, Brennan was there in his white and black stripes. Those were still his early days — later building rapport with coaches like Mater Dei’s Bruce Rollinson.

“That doesn’t mean [Rollinson] didn’t yell at me,” Brennan said. “He understood why I was out there, and that made a big difference. That’s what I try to instill when I’m instructing young guys who are coming in to officiate.”

That rapport extended to Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and today’s young slingers.

“Are you going to protect me tonight, ref?” Brennan said quarterbacks ask him.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he responds. “Your left tackle protects you because you’re right-handed. Who’s on my backside? You talk to your right tackle. Tell him to make sure no one runs me over and I’ll make sure no one runs over you.”

“Everyone laughs, and from that moment on, there is no problem.”

When he began officiating, crews adjusted to yellow flags, switching from red. Now, Brennan’s passion for officiating collides with today’s changes.

Girls’ flag football debuted last year, expanding across Southern California. Brennan said he expects flag football to grow, and they need more officials. Only 60% of boys’ football officials referee both sports.

“If there’s more schools playing, you just add more officials,” Brennan said. “But if someone doesn’t want to do it, I can’t force them. That’s where the poor pay and some other things came into play. People struggle, and it’s expensive to live in Orange County.”

As OCFOA president, fixing officials’ problems is much of what Brennan ponders. And as one of the oldest officials countrywide, sharing wisdom is another responsibility.

”It’s my job to teach them what I know about football, to try to make them better officials,” Brennan said. “My real calling is to make them understand that what you’re doing is giving back.”

All of his crew are longtime partners. Two had Brennan as their rookie instructor. His longest-tenured compadre, Tom Innocenti, died of cancer at 63 years old on Aug. 13.

Innocenti spent 34 years — more than half of his life — on Brennan’s crew.

His crew meets at a local coffee shop before games, caffeinating as they review film and notes. In their changing room, they snack on Red Vines, Laffy Taffy and Skittles — hitting pregame sugar highs like kids on Halloween. They have fun, bickering and joking — as they did before officiating Sonora versus Northwood at Portola High in Week 1action.

With a wry smile, Brennan turns on his headset and adjusts the collar of his striped uniform as he closes the locker-room door to trot down to the turf.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ll do it until I drop dead,” Brennan said.