PARKVILLE, Mo. – Charlie Titus, current Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Recreation, Special Projects & Programs at the University of Massachusetts Boston is the recipient of the 2018 Larry Smith Award, announced by Small College Basketball on Wednesday.

 

"I'm proud and excited that the 2018 Larry Smith Award is going to be awarded to Charlie Titus,” said Larry Smith. ”Through our extensive research on Charlie, it has been enlightening to learn about his story - and it fits so well with the intention of this award. Charlie has used his coaching and athletic administrative platforms to positively impact the lives of a remarkable amount of young people, as well as other coaches and administrators.

 

“By telling Charlie's story on a national platform, I hope that we can continue to inspire others to use the opportunities created through the game of basketball to create a special life for themselves, and then turn around and give back to make the world a better place. Charlie has done this, and I sincerely congratulate him on winning the 2018 Larry Smith Award."

 

Titus is the second-ever winner of the award, the first award went to former Kentucky Wesleyan stand out men’s basketball player, George Tinsley Sr.

 

The Larry Smith Award is presented annually to a former Small College Basketball player who has used the game of basketball to learn and apply life lessons that have significantly enhanced their life and then given back to impact the lives of others and change the world for good.

 

“I am deeply honored to be the second recipient of the distinguished Larry Smith Award,” said Titus. “It is humbling to know that my work is being recognized by and valued by the selection committee.”

 

A Boston-area native, Titus grew up in Roxbury, Massachusetts and attended Boston Technical High School before attending Saint Michael’s College.

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He has been instrumental not only in the growth of UMass Boston athletics, but also of collegiate athletics as a whole in New England and across the country. One of the most prominent and respected names in collegiate athletics, Titus has been the face of the University of Massachusetts Boston athletics for over three decades.

 

Having served as UMass Boston’s first Director of Athletics, Titus helped launch the UMass Boston athletics program, which over the years has attained tremendous success, including multiple national, regional, and conference championships. Since coming to UMass Boston, Titus has held several positions across the university, including the university’s first and only Men’s Basketball Head Coach until 2015. He also served as the institution’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for two years.

 

"The Little East Conference and its member institutions congratulate Charlie Titus as the second ever Larry Smith Award recipient," said Commissioner Cora H. Brumley. "Charlie's service to UMass Boston, the Little East Conference, and the greater Boston community has been nothing less than transformational."

 

Titus has played a major part in developing policies that have significantly shaped collegiate athletics today. Highly respected by his peers and colleagues for his service to the industry and his community, Titus has received multiple honors throughout his distinguished career and has helped serve the following organizations:

 

• Division III Membership Committee, member

• Division III Men’s Basketball Regional Advisory Committee, member

• National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)

• National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), member

• Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), former Board of Directors member