USD men’s basketball head coach JR Blount announced the addition of Jackson Carter to the staff as director of operations on April 13, 2026.
“We’re excited to introduce Jackson Carter to our program,” said Blount. “He will be a key facet of what we’re building in every area — on the court, in the classroom and in the community. Jackson brings a solution-oriented mindset and an elite, promising young basketball mind that will add tremendous value to our staff and student-athletes. His approach, energy and commitment to excellence will make a meaningful impact across our program.”
Carter comes to America’s Finest City with Blount from Iowa State, where he served as a student manager for three seasons and will graduate with a degree in marketing.
While with the Cyclones, the program reached the NCAA Tournament in each season and cracked the top-five of the AP Poll. In his first season (2023-24), Iowa State finished 29-8 and won the Big 12 Tournament Championship, reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and climbing as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll before finishing No. 8.
In Carter’s second season with Iowa State, the Cyclones finished 25-10 overall and 13-7 in the Big 12, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, climbing as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll — the highest ranking in program history — finishing the year ranked No. 17. In his senior year as a manager, Iowa State opened with a 16-0 start highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John's, earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament en route to another Sweet 16.
Carter held a wide range of responsibilities as a student manager at ISU, including preparing film for practices, games and recruiting, working out players individually, assisting with drills and helping train new managers.
He also brings experience at the AAU level, serving as a coach for Beyond Ball and as a manager on the Nike EYBL Circuit.
A native of Runnells, Iowa, Carter is the middle child with a brother and a sister. His father, Matt, coached basketball locally for 25 years and won three straight Iowa State Basketball Championships. He and his family have four dogs: Wrigley, Wilson, Finn and Shadow.
