Former ACC officiating head Doug Rhoads dies of cancer at 71

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) Former Atlantic Coast Conference football officiating coordinator Doug Rhoads has died.

ACC spokesman Mike Finn said Friday the family told him Rhoads died overnight following a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71.

Commissioner John Swofford said Rhoads ''loved the ACC and was a great friend to me and so many others.''

Rhoads spent nearly three decades as an on-field official in the ACC before taking over as the league's coordinator of football officiating in 2007. He retired in February 2015 and was replaced by Dennis Hennigan.