Congratulations to the Mildred Ball Award Winner: David Pillar, Danville
David Pillar of Danville is the winner of the 2026 IBCA Mildred Ball Award.
Pillar is in his 27th year as a licensed official but he started earlier while an Indiana University men’s basketball student manager by calling IU scrimmages for coach Bob Knight and intramural games in the HPER Building.
Since becoming a high school official in 2000, Pillar has called 20 sectionals, 14 regionals, eight semi-states and four State Finals in girls’ basketball. His girls’ title games were 2012 (4A), 2015 (3A), 2018 (3A) and 2023 (4A). In boys’ basketball, he has worked 21 sectionals, 15 regionals, nine semi-states and four State Finals. His boys’ title games were 2012 (2A), 2015 (1A), 2019 (3A) and 2023 (1A).
In addition, Pillar has called games six times in the annual Hall of Fame Classic – 2009 boys’ first round 2010 girls’ final, 2011 girls’ first round, 2012 boys’ final, 2017 boys’ first round and 2024 boys’ first round. He also has worked softball for several seasons, including a few softball sectionals.
A current member of the Fall Creek Officials Association and a 22-year past member of the Mid State Officials Association, Pillar served the MSOA as its basketball chairman from 2003-13 and as an at-large member of its board. He also has served the IHSAA as a basketball clinician for more than 20 years.
Pillar was named the IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Official of the Year in 2015, and he has served as the official scorekeeper for IU men’s basketball games for 27 seasons.
A 1997 graduate of Toronto High School in Toronto, Ohio, Pillar competed in basketball, golf and track & field, winning a conference championship in the high jump as a junior. He matriculated to IU, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 2001, served as a student manager for Knight for three seasons and coach Mike Davis for one season.
Pillar later earned a master’s degree in education from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2005 and a doctorate in educational leadership in 2016 from Ball State.
After working from 2001-24 as a teacher, coach and administrator for Monroe County Schools, including three seasons as a boys’ basketball assistant coach for Tom McKinney at Bloomington North, Pillar currently is in his second year as Director of Education Integration and Advancement for RefReps, a Zionsville-based company that partners with high schools and looks to train students as officials in 15 sports in the schools’ physical education classes.
Pillar also works as an education consultant and coach with Solution Tree, a Bloomington-based international education publishing and professional development company.
A resident of Danville, Pillar is a Chicago Cubs’ fan who enjoys traveling to see them play. He is the father of three children – Layla, 7, and twins Michael and Carson, 5 – and enjoys coaching them in baseball and basketball.
IBCA/MILDRED BALL AWARD
Mildred Morgan Ball served as an IHSAA assistant commissioner from 1977 through 1997, responsible for the licensing and training of contest officials. In addition, she worked with the National Federation of State High School Associations' rules committee. Ball is a 1953 graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School and a 1960 graduate of Indiana University. She was a teacher at East Chicago Washington High School for 17 years before joining the IHSAA staff. Ball was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and she is the 2022 recipient of the Richard G. Lugar Award for Distinguished Service. She also is a recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the Benjamin Hooks Award from the NAACP, the John Endwright Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1996, a Distinguished Alumni Service Award from IU in 2005 as well as other awards from the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Indiana Association of Athletic Officials and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. The IBCA has presented an award to an outstanding basketball official in Mildred Ball's name since 1997.
- 1997: Theresia Wynns, Indianapolis
- 1998: Sue Ross, Fort Wayne
- 1999: Judy Schneider, Indianapolis
- 2000: Mike Crouch, Marion
- 2001: Tim Smith, Mentone
- 2002: Rhonda McGee, Floyds Knobs
- 2003: Rosie Leedy, Thorntown
- 2004: Barbara Guhl, Indianapolis
- 2005: Greta Hawvermale, Indianapolis
- 2006: Patty Broderick, Indianapolis
- 2007: John Patterson, Indianapolis
- 2008: Gene Butts, Warsaw
- 2009: Kim Yelich, Schererville
- 2010: Judy Phillips, Indianapolis
- 2011: Kelly Dennis, Whiteland
- 2012: Roger Holder, Greenfield
- 2013: Mike Smith, New Palestine
- 2014: Phil Vidito, Indianapolis
- 2015: Jay Smith, Syracuse
- 2016: Bob Frye, Indianapolis
- 2017: Larry Sintz, Brookville
- 2018: Michael Zehr, Dubois
- 2019: Andy Simpson, Crown Point
- 2020: Gary Wier, Plainville
- 2021: no winner named (winner from 2020 honored in 2021 because of COVID-19 pandemic).
- 2022: Michael Stoffers, Terre Haute
- 2023: Ron Day, Plymouth
- 2024: P.J. Pitts, Bridgeton
- 2025: Nick Wininger, Montgomery
- 2026: David Pillar, Danville
