Isaac Carter joined San Diego football in the summer of 2023 as the Toreros' associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and defensive backs coach.
Carter helped lead San Diego to another strong season in 2025, helping the Toreros post an 8-4 record and a second-place finish in the PFL standings. He assisted in a signature win on September 6, 2025, when USD upset No. 24 Southern Utah by a 30-27 margin in an overtime thriller at Torero Stadium. Under his guidance, 19 Toreros earned 2025 All-PFL honors, including six to the 2025 All-PFL First Team. Carter's tutelage also helped three USD players earn Academic All-PFL recognition.
The Toreros returned to their winning ways in his second season in San Diego (2024), finishing with an 8-3 overall record, a 6-0 record at home, and a 6-2 record in Pioneer Football League action. It marked the program's first time with six home wins in the same season since going a perfect 6-0 across the 2015 season and the first time USD had won six straight at home since winning the last four at home in 2021 and first two of the 2022 season.
Prior to USD, he was the head coach at Division III Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi for three seasons (2020-2022). His time with the Majors saw the program produce 30 All-SAA student-athletes, 98 members on the SAA All-Academic Honor Roll, 15 NFF Hampshire Honor Society inductees and 13 SAA Players of the Week. Prior to arriving in Jackson, he worked as the defensive coordinator and was a full-time Professor of Kinesiology at Mt. San Antonio College,
He served as the defensive coordinator at the Colorado School of Mines from 2015-2017. During his time with the Orediggers, he helped lead them to a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championship and developed a number of all-conference selections. CSM finished in the top two defensively within the RMAC in 2016 and 2017.
Carter also has stops at Summit Christian School (HS) (West Palm Beach, Fla.) as head football/head track & field coach/Director of Athletics, Princeton University (FCS-NCAA) as assistant defensive backs coach, Las Vegas Locomotive (United Football League) as secondary coach, Colorado College (DIII-NCAA) as defensive coordinator, Whittier College (DIII-NCAA) as defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach, and New Mexico Highlands (DII-NCAA) as the defensive backs, pass game defense, special teams and strength and conditioning coach.
He played football at Cerritos College, before moving on to play at Eastern Kentucky (FSC-NCAA) under legendary coach Roy Kid. Carter then finished his playing career at New Mexico Highlands University (DII-NCAA), where he was an All-Conference player his final season.
Carter attended New Mexico Highlands University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Human Performance and his master’s degree in Sports Administration. He and his wife Nicole have four children: Anaya, Sienna, Aeneas and Ezra.
