Charlotte Latin's Director of Athletics, David Gatoux, was selected by the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) as the 2026 recipient of the Chuck Carter Athletic Cup award. The NCISAA established the Chuck Carter Athletic Director Cup in 2015 as a way to honor outstanding dedication by athletic administrators who exhibit the traits of Charles N. Carter, one of the founders and the first Executive Director of the state association. Recipients are selected based on length of service and commitment to the NCISAA values of integrity, sportsmanship, and fair play.

David has led Latin Athletics since 2012, while also serving the CLS community as an academic advisor, mentor to new hires, Strategic Plan chairperson, founder of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, and coach of the seventh-grade girls' basketball team. In his tenure as Athletic Director, Charlotte Latin has won 55 NCISAA Championships across 13 different programs, and has won or been the runner-up for the Wells Fargo Cup twelve times. More importantly, as David would say, the Hawks did it "the right way." 

A Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA), David has served on the NCISAA Board of Advisors since 2013 and was named as the NCISAA representative to the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association (NCADA) in 2020. He has also served three terms as president of the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA), including this past year. His unwavering dedication to Honor Above All, commitment to servant leadership, and ability to build a relationship-driven culture have earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and coaches, parents and administrators, and the student-athletes he serves so well.

The award was presented during halftime of the varsity football game against South Point High School on the night of the 2026 Touchdown Tailgate. Although the crowd had thinned out considerably after numerous lightning delays, David was honored in front of the Charlotte Latin community with his family, Head of School Chuck Baldecchi, and several current varsity head coaches on hand to congratulate him. Grant Coffey, NCISAA Board Member and Director of Athletics at Carmel Christian School, closed the presentation with these words: 

"David has always intentionally emphasized the word student in student-athlete, filling his coaching staff with people who bring out the absolute best in young people. It is my distinct privilege to present this award to a man who is a 4-year letterman, a 3-year starter at defensive back for the Denison Big Red, the person I think is the 'smartest man in the room,' and quite frankly, one of the finest athletic professionals in the state of North Carolina. Congratulations, David!"