Jim Daopoulos joins ‘SportsCenter’ for playoff officiating analysis

ESPN has tapped former NFL officiating supervisor Jim Daopoulos to provide analysis of rules and interpretations throughout the playoffs. During the regular season, Daopoulos provided analysis occasionally on Monday and Tuesday mornings on SportsCenter. He will be in their studios in Bristol, Conn., to be used on the nighttime editions as needed for the four postseason weekends.

Michael Shiffman, ESPN’s senior coordinating producer of strategic content and coverage, told Football Zebras, “As we have seen, there are often key plays which demand further explanation and examination. Having Jim in Bristol throughout the weekend allows us to serve fans with immediate expert insight.”

Former referee Gerry Austin will be in Houston to handle any rules interpretations during the Chiefs-Texans wild card game simulcast on ESPN and ABC. Austin has been in the booth with the Monday Night Football crew since 2012.

In addition to his ESPN appearances, Daopoulos is an officiating consultant with the American Athletic Conference.