Rick Wayne Titus (born 10 March 1969) is a Canadian-born Trinidadian soccer

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and former professional player. He played as a defender. He is the former head coach of the Masters FA League 1 team after winning a championship in 2019, and

University of Toronto Mississauga The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), also known as U of T Mississauga, is one of the three campuses that make up the tri-campus system of the University of Toronto. Located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the campus opened in 1967 as Eri ...

soccer team. Born with Indigenous ancestry, he announced he will be changing his name to Netshetep Ma'at, which is an Ancient Egyptian Order name as well as Songan Ohitekha Tawa El (which means ''Strong Brave Sun''), an Indigenous Appellation name. Throughout his playing career he competed in all levels of the American and Canadian soccer pyramid system. Originally beginning in his native country in the National Soccer League, soon after to the

USL A-League The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

, and eventually reaching the highest level of soccer in North America with the Major League Soccer. After reaching the MLS, he would shift between various

United Soccer Leagues United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

clubs, until returning to the MLS on a loan deal and appeared in a single match at the age of 39. He would concluded his outdoor career in the

USL Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syst ...

and Canadian Soccer League. Titus also competed in indoor soccer with various clubs in the National Professional Soccer League, and played at the international level with the

Trinidad and Tobago national football team The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed the " Soca Warriors", represents the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in international football. It is controlled by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, which is a ...

. After his retirement from competitive soccer he made the transition to the managerial side. He received his first experience in coaching as a player/assistant coach for the

Toronto Lynx Toronto Lynx was a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team last played in the 2014 season of the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes D ...

in the PDL in 2007. He later joined the

TFC Academy Toronto FC Academy, also known as TFC Academy, is the youth academy and development system of Canadian Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. The academy has divisions from U14 to U19 and includes over 110 young players. The senior academy team is ...

managerial staff as the U14 head coach, and subsequently began coaching in

League1 Ontario League1 Ontario (L1O) is a semi-professional men's association football, soccer league in Ontario, Canada. The league began play in 2014 and is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Ontario Soccer Association as a pro-am league ...

initially with

North Mississauga SC North Mississauga Soccer Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Mississauga, Ontario. The club was founded in 1982 as a youth soccer club and added its men's semi-professional club in League1 Ontario in 2016. The team plays ho ...

Playing career

Early years: 1986–1996

After playing

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United K ...

with the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

he signed with the Toronto Blizzard, but due to shortage of funds he ended up playing his youth soccer after three months; he then signed for the

Toronto Italia The National Soccer League was a soccer league in Canada that existed from 1926 to 1997. Teams were primarily based in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The league was renamed to Canadian National Soccer League in 1993 following the folding ...

in 1988 of the National Soccer League playing with Italia until 1995. In 1995, midway through the season he was traded to the

Scarborough Astros The North York Astros were a Canadian soccer team that was founded in 1990. The team initially played in the National Soccer League. The team played their home games at Esther Shiner Stadium in North York, a district of the city of Toronto, C ...

. During his tenure in Scarborough he helped the club reach the Umbro Cup finals against St. Catharines Wolves, but lost the penalty shootout by a score of 3–0. In 1996, Titus signed with St. Catharines Wolves where he claimed the Umbro cup by finishing first in the cup standings. He featured in the two game finals match against his former club Toronto Italia, but were defeated by a score of 11–0 goals on aggregate. He began playing indoor soccer in 1996 in the National Professional Soccer League with the

Toronto Shooting Stars Toronto Shooting Stars were an indoor soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario that competed in the defunct NPSL. The team began play in the 1996-1997 season, with home games taking place at Maple Leaf Gardens. However, the ownership of the franc ...

. During the season he was traded to the Edmonton Drillers, where he would eventually have a noted tenure by playing three separate seasons with the organization. Where he became a league all star in the 1999–2000 season, but later was selected by the

Buffalo Blizzard The Buffalo Blizzard was a soccer club that existed from 1992 to 2001 in Buffalo, New York. History The team was originally owned by the Knox brothers who owned the Buffalo Sabres at the time, and additionally by the Riches who owned the minor l ...

in the dispersal draft after the folding of Edmonton. However the Blizzard would fold at the end of the season and the

Milwaukee Wave The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, m ...

selected Titus in the August 2001 dispersal draft.

USL A-League: 1997–2001

In the spring of 1997 he signed for the newly established

of the

. In his two year stint he was named the 1997 and 1998 Lynx Defensive Player of the Year. In the winter off season he continued to playing the NPSL with the Montreal Impact in 1997, and was later traded to the Buffalo Blizzard. In 1998, he went overseas to play for Quan Li, a team managed by former Lynx teammate Gong Lei in China. After a brief stint abroad he returned to the NPSL to play with

Philadelphia KiXX The Philadelphia KiXX was a professional indoor soccer team based in Philadelphia, USA. The team competed as an NPSL expansion franchise and then played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. History The team's original owner was Ed Tepper, also pr ...

for the 1998–1999 indoor season. Titus moved to the

Hershey Wildcats Hershey Wildcats were a professional soccer team, based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, that played in the USL A-League between 1997 and 2001. The team was owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. The team played in Hersheypa ...

for the 1999 A-League season, but was traded midway through the season to Staten Island Vipers for cash and a first round draft pick. On June 13, 2000 Titus signed for the Vancouver 86er, where he was named Vancouver's 2000 Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All A-League. In 2001, he was named the A-League Defender of the Year and First Team All A-League. When the 2000 A-League season came to a conclusion he was loaned out to the

Toronto Olympians Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

in the Canadian Professional Soccer League. He made his debut for the club in the

Open Canada Cup The Open Canada Cup was an annual knock-out cup competition in Canadian Soccer. The competition was first held during the 1998 season as the CPSL League Cup. It was organized by the Canadian Soccer League (formerly the Canadian Professional So ...

semi-final match against the

Toronto Croatia Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor ...

, which resulted in 3–2 victory for the club in penalties. He appeared in the Open Cup tournament final against his former club St. Catharines, and won the cup in a 1–0 victory. In the postseason he scored the lone goal in the semi-final match against

Glen Shields The Glen Shields Sun Devils were a soccer team which played in the Canadian Professional Soccer League from 1998–2002. They played their home matches in Thornhill, Ontario. The franchise was one of the original teams of the CPSL. Originally f ...

, which advanced Toronto to the finals. In the finals the Olympians where defeated by Toronto Croatia by a score of 2–1.

MLS and USL First Division: 2002–2006

This brought Titus to the attention of Major League Soccer scouts and he signed with the

Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, lat ...

as a Discovery Player for the 2002 season. He started all 25 games in which he played, and at the end of the season he was awarded the ADT Defensive Player of the Year award. The Rapids put him on waivers in October 2002. On March 12, 2003, Titus signed a two-year contract with the

Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery are an American professional soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professional soccer clubs in th ...

, helping them win the 2003 USL A-League Championship. At the end of the season he requested a release from his contract to join the

Edmonton Aviators The Edmonton Aviators were a soccer club based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The club was founded in 2003 as a member of the United Soccer League's A-League and folded after playing only one season in 2004. Midway through the season, with the clu ...

, and signed a three-year contract. Shortly into the season he was released from his contract, and on June 19, 2004, he returned to the Toronto Lynx. After less than a week with the Lynx, he fell out with the management which led his release from his contract by mutual consent on July 7. He then rejoined the Charleston Battery for the remainder of the season. The following season he returned to the Lynx for a third playing stint. In 2006, Titus became team vice-captain, and featured in the

final against

Ottawa St. Anthony Italia The Ottawa St. Anthony Italia is an amateur soccer club based in Ottawa, Ontario. The club was founded in 1952 as the St. Anthony men's soccer team and played in a local league. In 1959, the team consolidated with another local team known as ...

. At the conclusion of the season he was named the 2006 Toronto Lynx Most Valuable Player, and was a four-time member of the United Soccer League's team of the week.

PDL and CSL: 2007–2010

When the 2006 season ended the Lynx organization decided for financial reasons to drop two divisions to the Premier Development League. Titus was one of few seniors players to remain with the Lynx for the 2007 season, where he was named player/assistant coach for Toronto. In 2008, Titus helped the Lynx reach the playoffs for the first time since 2000, but unfortunately for the Lynx, the

Cleveland Internationals Cleveland Internationals was an American soccer team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2004, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division ...

scored a late winner to take the game 2–1, sending the Lynx home early. In 2008, he went on loan to

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...

for one game against

Chivas USA Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. G ...

in Major League Soccer. This was due to Toronto missing nine first-team players due to international duty, and in order to protect his amateur status he was unpaid for his Toronto FC appearance. After the conclusion of the PDL season he returned to the Canadian Soccer League and signed with the

York Region Shooters York Region Shooters is a Canadian association football, soccer team, that plays in the Canadian Soccer League. The Shooters played their home games at the St. Joan of Arc Turf Field in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The team's colours were blue ...

. During his tenure with York Region he helped clinch the International Division title in 2008, and the regular season title in 2010. He was awarded the CSL Defender of the Year award in 2010.

International career

He made his international debut for the Trinidad and Tobago national team on November 15, 2002 against St. Kitts and Nevis national football team in the

2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification CFU Qualifying Tournament Preliminary round ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- First round Group A ---- ---- Group B ---- ---- Group C ---- ---- Group D ---- ---- Final round Group A ---- ...

. He later played in four Gold Cup qualifier games in 2002.

Managerial career

In 2012 Rick Titus would coach the 98 boys youth team at North Mississauga Soccer Club. The team would go on to win the Ontario Cup and eventually the Canadian National Championship. Also, the 98 boys would also be named the number one sports team at the Mississauga Sports Council banquet. In 2007, he gained his first experience in managing at a professional club as an assistant coach for the

in the

under

Duncan Wilde Duncan Wilde is an English soccer manager who is currently the manager of Blue Devils FC in League1 Ontario. Managerial career On May 15, 2003 at the Canadian Professional Soccer League press conference the Hamilton Thunder announced Wilde as th ...

. He later was appointed the head coach for the

U14 team, and also a regional scout for the Mississauga/Brampton region. In 2016, he became the head coach for

, and was named the head coach for the

men's team. In 2017, he was appointed the head coach for Masters FA Saints. In the 2017 winter season he was appointed head coach for Caribbean Stars AC in the Arena Premier League. During the 2021 League 1 Ontario season Titus received a year suspension due to an off-field altercation with match officials. In 2019, he replaced

Phil Ionadi Phil Ionadi is a Canadian businessman, soccer executive, former soccer player, head coach, and the general manager for the Canadian Arena Soccer Association. He initially began playing college soccer abroad with Belhaven University. After a series ...

as head coach for the

Mississauga MetroStars Mississauga MetroStars (briefly known as MetroStars Canada in 2019) were a professional indoor soccer team which played its home games at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The team joined the Major Arena Soccer Leag ...

in the

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...

. In 2019, he would go on to win the League 1 Ontario Championship with Masters FA In 2021, he would go on to the semi-finals of the League 1 Ontario Championship, losing to the eventual 2021 Champions from Guelph

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Titus, Rick 1969 births Living people Soccer players from Mississauga Trinidad and Tobago footballers Trinidad and Tobago international footballers Canadian soccer players Canadian sportspeople of Trinidad and Tobago descent Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago through descent Association football defenders Buffalo Blizzard players Philadelphia KiXX (NPSL) players Hershey Wildcats players Staten Island Vipers players Colorado Rapids players Charleston Battery players National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players A-League (1995–2004) players Major League Soccer players Trinidad and Tobago expatriate footballers Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate soccer players in the United States Trinidad and Tobago football managers Canadian expatriate soccer players Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Canadian National Soccer League players Canadian Soccer League (1998–present) players Black Canadian soccer players Edmonton Aviators / F.C. players Edmonton Drillers (1996–2000) players York Region Shooters players Montreal Impact (1992–2011) players North York Astros players St. Catharines Roma Wolves players Toronto FC non-playing staff Toronto FC players Toronto Italia players Toronto Lynx players Toronto (Mississauga) Olympians players Toronto Shooting Stars players University of Toronto alumni USL First Division players USL League Two players Vancouver Whitecaps (1986–2010) players North Mississauga SC players