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Gators Officially Announce Carter as Coach
Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer

Posted Feb 14, 2008

University of Florida football head coach Urban Meyer announced the hiring of Kenny Carter to the Gator coaching staff Thursday. Carter fills the position of running backs' coach after spending the last four years in the same role at Vanderbilt. While in Nashville, Carter also served as recruiting coordinator for the Commodores.

"I'm pleased to have Kenny join our staff," said Meyer. "He has coached at two schools in the SEC and has a great understanding of what it takes to be successful in this league."

"It is an honor to join The Gator Nation," said Carter. "I'm excited about the opportunity and happy to be able to call Gainesville, Florida home for me and my family. I'm looking forward to working with Coach Meyer, the staff and the players. After talking to the current running backs at UF, I'm excited about the future."

In 2006, Carter mentored tailbacks Cassen Jackson-Garrison and Jared Hawkins, a duo which combined for more than 900 rushing yards and eight touchdowns from the Commodores' one-back set. Jackson-Garrison, who was a senior in 2007, went on to finish in a tie as the eighth-leading rusher in Vanderbilt history with 1,814 career yards. His 2007 running back corps of Jackson-Garrison, Hawkins and Jeff Jennings combined for 1,207 yards.

In 2005, he coached a youthful corps that included sophomore starter Jennings and Jackson-Garrison. Carter also mentored Steven Bright, who moved from quarterback to fullback/H-back and became a key offensive weapon as an aerial target out of the backfield.

Carter, who served as an assistant at Furman when Bobby Johnson accepted the Paladins' head coaching job, worked on coaching staffs at the University of Pittsburgh, LSU, The Citadel and Penn State prior to joining Vanderbilt.

At Penn State, Carter guided receivers under Joe Paterno. He was instrumental in the development of Bryant Johnson, a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2002 and first-round 2003 NFL draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals. Johnson ranks among the all-time Penn State leaders with 110 career receptions and 2,008 career receiving yards.

Carter guided running backs at Pittsburgh under former Head Coach Walt Harris, mentoring Kevan Barlow, Nick Goings and Lousaka Polite. While Barlow became a 1,000-yard rusher at Pittsburgh, Barlow (San Francisco, N.Y. Jets), Goings (Carolina) and Polite (Dallas, Chicago) have gone on to enjoy solid NFL careers.

Carter worked at LSU in 1999, coaching outside linebackers. One pupil, Norman Lejeune, was named Freshman All-SEC.

A native of Camden, S.C., Carter served as a tight ends' assistant at Furman in 1993. From 1994 through 1998 he held multiple positions at his alma mater, The Citadel.

Courtesy UF Sports Information



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