Jose Larios was named Montreat College's Director of Athletics in May 2014.
Larios brings to his athletic directorship a variety of administrative and coaching experience. With nearly 20 years of track and field coaching experience, Larios has also served as a Sports Information Director, Assistant Director to the Academic Skills Center at Warner Unviersity, as well as an English instructor. He has also served on a variety of academic, athletic, and conference committees, as well as the meet referee for the NAIA National Cross Country Championship.
Since Larios' arrival, the Cavaliers athletics department has witnessed a trend of remarkable improvements in staffing positions, new and facility upgrades, academic and athletic success, recruiting and retention, as well as student athlete participation-- more than at any other time in the history of the college. The fall of 2018 welcomed over 400 student athletes to campus, with 34 athletics staff members to serve them in 17 different sports. He was named Appalachian Athletic Conference Athletics Director of the Year for 2018-19.
In less than 24 months at the helm of Montreat College's athletic department, Larios led the planning and development of the McAlister Fitness Center renovation. The state-of-the-art, 5000 square foot fitness center was welcomed by the entire campus and dedicated in October of 2015. Larios also planned and managed the newly constructed Athletic Complex and Pulliam Stadium on the Black Mountain Campus. Pulliam Stadium features an eight-lane Rekortan track surface; arguably one of the finest track surfaces in the world. The turf facilty boasts a high-density turf field, named after former soccer player Howard Fisher, is lined for both soccer and men's and women's lacrosse. The athletic complex also includes the design of the newly constructed Roxy Hines softball field. Both the track and field and softball field are equipped with collegiate-level lighting. The addition of an evironmental-friendly 24-person restroom facility provides Montreat College to host large championship events.
Larios returned to Montreat College on July 1st after serving Emmanuel College as the Director of Athletics during a period of growth and development of the 23 NCAA sponsored sports. Larios led the Lions through the NCAA Division II application process and through Candidacy Year One.
Over the two years under Larios, Emmanuel College improved its number of academic All-Conference scholars greater than any other Southern States Athletic Conference member. The Lions concluded the 2013-14 academic year with 80 All-Academic Team members, the highest number in the Southern States Athletic Conference, an improvement of 13 places from the 2011-12 academic year when Emmanuel finished 13th with 25 Academic Team members.
At the national level, Emmanuel finished 30th in the prestigious Learfield Sports Director's Cup standing, ranking them as one of the Top-30 successful athletic programs in the NAIA. Their success at the national championships was led by the men's basketball team finishing as national runners-up, the men's cross country finishing third at the national meet, and the men's and women's swim team finishing 13th and 15th at the national meet, respectively.
At the conference level under Larios, EC finished second in the Southern States Athletic Conference standings for the Commissioner's Cup, the all-sports award given each year to the institution that totals the most points based on each school's finish in conference championship competition. During the 2013-14 seasons, the Lions earned championships in men's cross country and men's track & field while men's basketball finished as SSAC East Division champions.
Prior to being selected to bring leadership and vision to the new era of the Lions athletics programs, Larios was hired by Emmanuel to start the first ever cross country and track program. In just its first year of completion the men's cross country team went on to earn the 2011 Southern States Athletic Conference runner-up trophy, as well as the Champions of Character Award. In his second year the Lions went on to win the SSAC men's cross country title and finished ranked No. 25 in the 2012 NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Postseason Top 25 poll. In those two years Larios had 21 Lions qualify for the NAIA Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Larios began his coaching career as an assistant cross country and track coach with Lake Wales High School, ultimately being named Head Coach of the Highlanders in 1997. From 1997 to 2000 Larios led the Highlanders of Lake Wales to county, district, and regional track and field championships.
In 2000, Larios began his coaching assignment at Warner University and immediately led the Runnin' Royals to a worst-to-first Florida Sun Conference Cross Country Championship, the first of four consecutive conference and NAIA Region XIV Championships. The Lady Royals also earned three consecutive cross country titles of their own. Larios' teams also garnered five track & field conference/regional titles. Within a short six year period, the Royals hit the national scene; Larios' teams produced two NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field national individual champions and two national runner-ups. In all, Larios' Runnin' Royals earned 23 All-American accolades, over 96 All-Conference and All-Region awards, and earned a final 13th place NAIA National Ranking at the 2003 cross country finals. While at Warner, Larios also served as the Assistant Director of the Academic Skills Center and assistant English instructor.
Larios served as the head men's and women's cross country and track & field coach at Montreat College from 2007-11. While at Montreat, Larios led the Cavaliers women's cross country team from last-to-second place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference in just two short years. Along with the AAC runner-up trophy, Montreat runners qualified to run at the NAIA Cross Country Championships eight different times, including a program best five individual qualifiers in 2008, as well as eight outdoor track and field national qualifiers, including a male AAC Cross Country Runner of the Year award. Larios coached Montreat College's Talisa Bishop to a near NAIA All-American honor as a 7th place finisher in the marathon at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2009. The Cavaliers also won the distinguished Champions of Character team award three different times under Larios.
A native of Frostproof, Florida, Larios earned a bachelors of arts in English and Secondary Education from Warner University in 1997. He was instrumental in Warner's two consecutive Florida Sun Conference titles and back-to-back NAIA National Cross Country Championship appearances.
As an indication of the high regard in which Larios is held, he was voted NAIA Region and Conference Coach of the Year 12 different times. Larios has demonstrated strong servant leadership throughout his coaching and administrative career. As a testament to the emphasis in character development, Coach Larios' teams have earned the NAIA Champions of Character team award at the conference level nine different times. Larios' resume includes having coached 31 NAIA and NCCAA All-Americans, over 130 All-Conference/Region student-athletes, two individual NAIA National Champions, as well as an NCCAA National Championship 4x800-meter relay team; several of his athletes have earned conference and Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete recognition.
Jose and his wife Heather live in Black Mountain with their four children: Hanna, Emma, Sara, and Gabriel.
