Assumption announces creation of the Larry Lucchino Institute for the Study of Sports

“Larry didn’t start his life by saying he wanted to be a sports executive. He started his life thinking about how does he go out and have a bigger impact on the world,” said David Lucchino, son of Larry Lucchino’s older brother, Frank. “He found his way into sports through having a really keen mind, a deep intellectual curiosity, and a tremendous work ethic, plus a competitive nature that could also make him intimidating.”Get 108 StitchesReceive the Globe's best reporting and commentary on the Red Sox every weekday. Enter EmailLucchino, who died in 2024 at 78, did not reserve his feisty and, at times, challenging personality for the workplace. As a second-grader, his nephew remembers that when Uncle Larry was helping him with homework, David’s answer of “North Dakota” prompted a succession of “Are you sure?” queries. “Even at that tender age, he had a certain way of trying to make you better. And, for the most part, it worked,” David said. “He was not your typical sports executive. He wasn’t going to slap you on the back and go have a beer with you. He wanted to be challenged, he was going to challenge you, and he viewed that as a rite of passage.