JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Head coach Jermaine Gales announced on Tuesday (Dec. 21) that Joseph Carter has joined his staff as LU's defensive coordinator. 

Carter brings a wealth of experience coaching at the NCAA Division II level to Lincoln. Carter served as the defensive coordinator at Edward Waters since 2019, and spent the previous 12 years as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Tuskegee. He also coached at Southern Arkansas from 2001-06.

"Coach Joseph Carter is a veteran with over 25 years of experience," Gales said. "He is a proven leader of men who will develop a culture on defense fitting for the Ambush. I have no doubt that I have the right guy to lead this defense."

While at Tuskegee, Carter helped turn the Golden Tigers into an NCAA Division II powerhouse. He helped lead the Golden Tigers to seven SIAC football championships, four HBCU National Championships and helped four consecutive Division II playoff appearances from 2013 to 2016. Carter's defenses at Tuskegee consistently ranked near or at the top of the SIAC in every defensive statistical category, and were often among the top-20 in Division II in multiple categories.

Prior to his time at Tuskegee, Carter spent six seasons at Southern Arkansas as the defensive backs coach and strength & conditioning coach. Carter served as the linebackers coach at West Alabama in 2000, and before that was an assistant at Cumberlands from 1997-99, spending his last season with the program as the defensive coordinator.

Carter started his coaching career at his alma mater, Eastern New Mexico, where he worked with the linebackers and defensive linemen as a graduate assistant. Carter holds both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Sports Administration from Eastern New Mexico.