Charlie Titus

Athletics director and basketball coach Charlie Titus was born on April 8, 1950 in Boston, Massachusetts to Ann and Edward Titus. He graduated from Boston Technical High School in 1968. He went on to earn his B.A. degree in political science from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont in 1972, where he played basketball for three years.

From 1974 to 2015, Titus was hired as the head men’s basketball coach of the University of Massachusetts, Boston’s club-varsity basketball team, the Beacons. He also worked as the director of the youth affairs division at Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. in 1976. In 1980, Titus began serving as director of athletics at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, a position he held for nearly twenty-four years. He returned to coaching in 1981 and led the Beacons to a 19-9 record and a spot in the NCAA tournament. In 1986, Titus aided in the establishment of the NCAA Division III Little East Conference and the Beacons reached the ECAC New England championship in 1997, tying the school record for wins. That year, Titus travelled to Niamey, Niger, as part of Niamey Hoops, an international basketball clinic for players and coaches. In 2002, he began yearly trips to West Africa to teach basketball with YES Africa. In 2003, Titus earned his 300th combined club-varsity victory and was named interim vice chancellor of student affairs the following year, and vice chancellor of athletics, recreation, special projects, and programs from 2006 to 2020. In 2014, Titus led the Beacons to their first 3-0 start since 1997. He retired from coaching after forty years with the UMass Beacons, working as the special assistant to the chancellor of University of Massachusetts, Boston from 2020 to 2022.

Titus has served on the boards of Saint Michael’s College, the Urban College of Boston, and Bay State Games. He previously served on the Governor’s Advisory Committee and the Roxbury Community College Advisory Board. In 2012, he joined the 3Point Foundation’s board of directors; and, in 2013, served as board chair of Boston’s Higher Ground. From 2012 to 2022, he was a member and chair of the board of the Grimes King Foundation for the Elderly. In 2022, he joined the Mayor’s Commission on Black Men and Boys as a commissioner.

Titus was named Little East Conference Coach of the Year in 1997. He was inducted into the Saint Michael’s College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999, the University of Massachusetts, Boston Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Titus has two children, Ander and Ciaren Titus. He resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

Charlie Titus was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on August 8, 2024.