Art McNally Obituary

Art McNally was an American football executive who served as the National Football League’s (NFL) director of officiating from 1968 to 1991.

Art McNally passed away on January 1, 2023, of natural causes at a hospital in Newtown, Pennsylvania, near where he had lived for many years. He was 97.

Art McNally grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Roman Catholic High School before attending Temple University in Philadelphia.

Art McNally worked as a teacher and coach at Central High School in Philadelphia before being appointed as the NFL’s supervisor of officials prior to the 1968 season. He had served in the Marine Corps during WWII.

McNally worked as a field judge and referee in the NFL for nine years before becoming director of officiating, succeeding Mark Duncan, who had held the position from 1964 to 1968.

Over the course of his 22-year career, he officiated over 3,000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including one year in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

McNally became the first NFL game official to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.