Kira Carter is entering her third season on the Sam Houston State coaching staff after joining the Bearkat women's basketball coaching staff prior to the 2018-19 season, coming to Sam Houston after a memorable season at Milwaukee.
As part of 2019 SLC Coach of the Year Ravon Justice's staff the past two years, she has helped the Kats post a 35-23 record, going 25-13 in Southland Conference play. That includes going 19-10 in the 2019-20 season and 14-6 against Southland competition. The 14 SLC victories and the 19 wins overall in 2019-20 were both Division I records for the program.
In addition to the team success in 2019-20, the Kats also received some individual accolades as well with sophomore Amber Leggett finding her way onto both the all-SLC first team and the SLC All-Defensive team. Jaylonn Walker was named to the all-SLC second team for the second straight year, while Faith Cook became the second straight Bearkat to be named the SLC Newcomer of the Year.
SHSU had won just 40 games in the previous five seasons before the staff's arrival, and that quick turnaround has not gone unnoticed as Carter was named to the WBCA 30 Under 30 List following in the spring of 2020.
The Kats to a 16-13 record in her first year, including going 11-7 in SLC play. The 16 wins were nine more than the Kats had put together in the previous two seasons combined, and the 12-win improvement was the third best of any program in the nation in 2018-19, but the best of any that was under the direction of a first-year coaching staff.
In her first year on staff, three Bearkats – Jaylonn Walker, Lydia Baxter and Jenniffer Oramas – all pick up all-conference honors, the first postseason honors for any Bearkat since the 2015-16 season. Walker was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year, while Baxter was a third-team choice and Oramas getting an honorable mention nod. That season the Kats saw their scoring average jump up more than 18 points per game, eclipsing 100 points a pair of times. They also played an exciting brand of defense, ranking third in the league by forcing 22.7 turnovers per game.
The 2017-18 season was a memorable one for the Panthers. Carter helped guide Milwaukee to 21 wins - the second-highest total in program history, including two wins over Big Ten opponents Wisconsin and Northwestern. The team earned an at-large berth to the Postseason WNIT, opening things up with an impressive 81-67 road win.
Carter also coached a pair of players to postseason honors last year. Steph Kostowicz and Jenny Lindner were both named to the All-Horizon League teams, marking the first time since 2005-06 that Milwaukee earned a pair of representatives on the 10-player all-league team.
She joined the Milwaukee women's basketball staff as an assistant coach heading into the 2017-18 season after one season at Missouri S&T. As the lone assistant on the Miners staff, Carter handled or assisted in seemingly all aspects of the program. She was responsible for all scouting, film work and game planning, as well as travel arrangements. She also assisted in recruiting, player development, practice planning and budgetary decisions.
Prior to her time with the Miners, Carter spent two years at Wabash Valley College, where she helped the Warriors to a Region XXIV Championships and an NJCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2015. In all, she helped WVC to a 55-12 overall record in her two years with the team, helping coach three players to all-conference honors, including one as an NJCAA First Team All-American.
Carter also spent time at Thomas College and with AAU team Manzer Basketball Academy.
A standout on the court, Carter started her collegiate career at Oakland, where she appeared in 28 games as a freshman. She then transferred closer to home, where she earned First-Team All-Conference and First-Team All-Region 24 honors at Wabash Valley College. She then closed out her collegiate career at Coastal Carolina, starting 47 games with the Chanticleers.
Following her college career, Carter spent one year overseas with BK Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic.
A native of Indianapolis, Carter received her masters degree in sports leadership from Duquesne University in August of 2015.
