DETROIT (12/4/2019) -- It will be a festive day in Calihan Hall on Saturday as Mikhail Youdin will be bestowed with the Titan Reggie Spirit Of Detroit Mercy Award during the men's basketball's home opener against Eastern Michigan. The game will tip off at 1 p.m.
A Detroit Mercy alum and adjunct professor, he earned his bachelor's degree in political science and economics in 2008 and a master's degree in financial economics in 2009.
"I am extremely humbled because there is no one that personifies the Titans better than Titan Reggie and to have my name with this award is an honor," said Youdin. "This University means so much to me and has done so much for me and it represents all the good people in the city of Detroit and Reggie represented that better than anyone. He had a love for this place and was a passionate fan for everything we stood for."
He has been involved with the revamping of the Titan Athletic Club and has helped show his true passion for Titan athletics with his loyalty to the program and his involvement with kids and getting them to attend games and donations to the Detroit Public Schools benefit game.
"When you look at what this award represents, it's about being a true Titan and helping others by giving back," said Director of Athletics
Robert C. Vowels, Jr. "Mikhail has been a big piece of the changes going on here and he showcases what we want here at the University."
The Titan Reggie Spirit of Detroit Mercy Award was named after the famed alum and one of the greatest and most popular fans, who passed away on Dec. 9, 2015, after a car accident.
The award was established during the 2016-17 basketball season and will be presented each year to a person who embodies the late Reggie Hall's "Titan spirit," which includes supporting teams at home and on the road through good times and bad, as Reggie did for many years.
Former U-D baseball coach Bob Miller - Hall's baseball coach at the University - was the first to receive the accolade in 2018, while 1964 alum John Deters was honored last season.
