WHEELING – Whistling his way to the top.

Tony Chiazza is a young man excelling at the highest level of his profession. The Wheeling native is a college basketball official. He officiates Division I games – the cream of the crop.

What started out as a way to earn pocket money in college has turned into an impressive career. Chiazza works the Big East, ACC and Atlantic 10, three of the nation’s premier basketball conferences.

Chiazza, still just 35 years of age, worked some 75-80 Division I games last year. So far this season, he has already officiated 17.

That is a far cry from where he cut his officiating teeth.

Chiazza first blew the officiating whistle at the Chambers YMCA. He worked various jobs at the Elm Grove facility, and when Ramsey Rahi needed another official for youth games, Chiazza answered the call.

“Back then, I never could have envisioned where basketball officiating would take me,” Chiazza said. “I was just looking to make spending money.”

The YMCA whetted his appetite for more officiating work. He took the local officiating class taught by Wheeling Recreation Director Tom “Bear” Bechtel, a highly respected official in his own right, to become certified.

After being graduated from high school, Chiazza matriculated to Marshall University. It is there where his basketball officiating began to gain traction.

While at Marshall, he was certified to officiate games in Ohio and West Virginia. “Officiating became my college job. I was able to do frosh and reserve games while I went to school at Marshall,” Chiazza said. “It was a great way to make money.

“While in Huntington, I went to an officiating camp at Marshall University in the summer and came in touch with Mike Eades, a NCAA Final Four official. We kept in touch and he helped me a great deal. I was hired after that camp to do some lower-level college games at age 20.”

And college games he did.

“I did NAIA/JUCO games and some OUE games. They loaded me up,” Chiazza said. “Joe DeRosa, a 25-year NBA veteran official, was the supervisor of those NAIA/JUCO leagues. He loaded me up.”

Chiazza’s court career took a major step forward at age 25 when he attended a Division I camp at Middle Tennessee State.

“Camp competition is tough. You may have a hundred officials battling for two available spots. At the Middle Tennessee camp, I got to know John Guthrie. He helped a lot of young officials. It didn’t matter how old you were or where you were from. He hired me to do Ohio Valley Conference and Big South games in 2005,” Chiazza said. “My first D-1 game was at Morehead State when I was 25.”

He subsequently went to a Mid-American Conference camp and was hired to do MAC games. His career took flight, however, when he was hired by Art Hyland of the Big East at age 30. Hyland was the league’s supervisor of officials.

“When I first started in the Big East five years ago, it was the true Big East with the Georgetowns, UConns, Syracuses and St. John’s. The rivalries were passionate and the games fierce,” Chiazza said. “My D-1 schedule has really grown. I am in my second year of working ACC games. My first game in that conference was at Duke.”

Chiazza also got his first taste of March Madness last season, working an NCAA Tournament game in Columbus, pitting Oklahoma and Albany.

“Gaining credibility with coaches is big. Coaches are now accepting me which leads to more opportunities,” he said. “Acceptance by the coaches is half the battle. But with all the travel involved, it is hard to work more than three games a week. You must prioritize your leagues.

“My typical officiating day is arriving at the venue, doing some work for BSN Sports (his full-time employer), take a nap, do some more BSN work and then get to the game,” he added. “Even the day of games, I am putting in a lot of time for BSN Sports. They have given me great flexibility for my officiating career.”

Chiazza’s ascension to the top level of collegiate officiating is one he relishes. It is also one he is content with.

“I really enjoy the atmosphere of Division I games. I have no desire to go to the NBA. I have worked in its development league,” he noted. “I am sticking with college basketball. I want to work on improving my skills and work to advance further in the NCAA Tournament.”

Chiazza realizes his meteoric rise could not have happened without a lot of help along the way.

“To reach this level, you need people in your corner and you need a mentor,” Chiazza said. “Ted Valentine is one of the top college officials, and he has given me a lot of help.

“And I wouldn’t be where I am at if not for guys like Eades, DeRosa and Valentine as well as those from the Ohio Valley like Ramsey Rahi, Bear Bechtel and Jim Schmidt as well as others,” he added. “Jim used to take me with him to work men’s leagues. I am thankful for all the help along the way.”