Former Pitt men's basketball student-athlete Charles Small has been hired to fill the Pitt Athletic Department's Student Life & Compliance Assistant position. One of Small's primary roles as the Student Life & Compliance Assistant will be to coordinate community service projects for student-athletes, such as the Children's Hospital Honorary Captain's program and the PAWS Saturday morning sports program, uniting Pitt student-athletes with children from the Oakland and local community. Following graduation, Small will begin his position in May.
"As a four-year member of the men's basketball team, Charles brings his experience as student-athlete and an accomplished scholar to our administrative staff," Athletic Director Jeff Long said. "He has earned the respect of student-athletes and coaches alike. Charles is a terrific young man who has a bright future in athletics administration, and I am pleased we are able to help him get his start."
A walk-on, Small earned three varsity letters since he earned a roster spot in October, 2002. Small saw action in 18 career games, including the 2006 NCAA Tournament first round contest in Auburn Hills, Mich., near his Detroit home. An Oakland Zoo fan favorite, Small saw action in eight contests during the 2005-06 season.
Small will graduate from the University of Pittsburgh in April, 2006 with a social work degree. He earned several academic honors including Big East Academic Honor Roll status and University of Pittsburgh Scholar Athlete accolades throughout his undergraduate career. Small will be enrolled in Pitt's graduate program in the School of Social Work while working in the Athletics Department.
One of the shortest players in NCAA Division I college basketball, Small was featured in Sports Illustrated on Campus where he was compared with the tallest player in NCAA Division I, Neil Fingleton.
Small graduated from Detroit's Martin Luther King High School in 2002 where he lettered four seasons and helped guide Martin Luther King to the city tournament runner-up finish. As a senior point guard, Small averaged 12 points and seven assists per game. He competed for AAU Team Detroit, was an Adidas ABCD Camp participant and played in Adidas AAU Big Time Camp in Las Vegas. A National Honor Society student, Small worked hard on the court and studied hard in the classroom. | 