| Charlie Titus is the founder
of Mass-Boston basketball and one of the founding members of the
Little East Conference. Mass-Boston athletics file photo |
BOSTON, Mass. – After nearly four decades at the helm of the University of Massachusetts Boston men’s basketball program, head coach Charlie Titus has announced that the 2014–15 season will be his last on the Beacons bench.
A national search for Titus’ replacement will begin immediately following the conclusion of his final campaign. Titus will remain as the Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation, Special Projects and Programs at UMass Boston.
“Coaching here at UMass Boston has been a pleasure as well as a tremendous challenge. I do not know of another collegiate program that has had to face the barriers we have at UMass Boston. Most college athletes live in a dorm, have a meal ticket for three squares a day, and only have to focus on studies and sports participation. We work with a student-athlete population that has so many responsibilities—work, travel to and from the university, family obligations, paying rent and utility bills, shopping and cooking—all on top of focusing on their studies while trying to compete in their sport at a very high level,” said Titus.
The founding father of both UMass Boston basketball and athletics, Titus began his career at UMass Boston in 1974 when he coached the club team, which laid the foundation for the current athletics department. After six seasons with the club team, in which he compiled some impressive wins over local, Division II, and III opponents, Titus led the way to make the Beacons an NCAA varsity program in 1980. It was also in July of 1980 that he was appointed the university’s first-ever Director of Athletics, a title he would hold for more than 20 years, before assuming a Vice Chancellorship.
In his second season as the head coach, Titus led a very young and talented group of players to the first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament in UMass Boston’s history. In that historic season, the Beacons competed against Division I and II teams like Northeastern University, American University, the University of Sacred Heart, Bryant University, Franklin Pierce University (twice), New York University Institute of Technology, and UMass Lowell. The Beacons would compile a program best 19 victories that year, which still remains the all-time mark in the program’s 34-year history.
Following the success of the ’82–’83 season, longtime friend and mentor of Titus, John Thompson, encouraged the coach to elevate his game to the next level. However, Titus believed in what he started at UMass Boston, and knew that he would forever be committed to the students, faculty, and staff at the growing institution. He knew if he stayed at UMass Boston he would have a chance to influence countless young people in the city that he loved and spent his entire life in.
In 2006 Titus made history, winning the program’s first Little East Conference title, with his son A.J. Titus helping to lead the way. The NCAA Tournament appearance marked the second for the program as they earned an 18-11 record. Along with the title, Titus also earned his third conference Coach of the Year accolade. With all his many accomplishments as coach, however, working with his son A.J. stands as his greatest memory in a long and distinguished career.
“While I love to win and consider myself very competitive, I make no apologies for the won-loss record. As a matter of fact I am extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish under unusual circumstances. It has been a magnificent run and my life has been constantly enriched by the many players I have had an opportunity to coach, watch grow, and build relationships with,” Titus said.
Even with all his accolades on the hardwood, Titus believes that what his teams did in the community is just as important. Over the last 25 years, Titus has brought cheer and happiness to countless children when the basketball team visited the Boston Medical Center around Christmas time. A leader for the UMass Boston athletics community service projects, Titus has worked with more camps, clinics, and organizations then he can count. For his many contributions to the sport of basketball and to the city of Boston, Titus was named the recipient of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Outstanding Service award.
UMass Boston Chancellor Keith Motley declared, “There will only ever be one founding head coach for University of Massachusetts Boston Men’s Basketball team. That will always be Charlie Titus. His meaning and imprint on that program is indelible and will never be replaced. Charlie’s legacy is both wide-ranging and deep, touching generations of youth whom he transitioned from boys, to student-athletes, to men and then to leaders. He was the perfect basketball coach for Boston’s public university."