‘He was our Coach P.’ Nobody is surprised that this TCU ex is excelling as a coach.
Can he recruit?
That’s the only question Sam Pittman asked himself when it came to hiring Sam Carter last offseason. Carter, the former TCU standout, had everything else a head coach would want in an assistant coach, something that appealed to Pittman as he put together his first staff at Arkansas.
Carter, 30, had an impressive playing background under Gary Patterson, being named an All-Big 12 safety three times. Carter received a ringing endorsement from one of Pittman’s first hires at Arkansas, defensive coordinator Barry Odom, the former Missouri head coach who hired Carter to serve as a defensive quality control and analyst the previous four seasons (2016-19).
“In the interview process, I knew I was getting a guy who — if he could recruit ‘cause he hadn’t done much of that as far as on the road — I knew I had something special with him,” Pittman said. “Then it turns out, he’s one of the best recruiters we have on our staff.”
Carter’s quick rise up the coaching ranks doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone affiliated with TCU. Carter has always been a coach on the field, someone Patterson once compared to being the defense’s version of Andy Dalton.
Seeing Carter on the opposite sidelines is something that Patterson is excited about going into this week’s Texas Bowl. When TCU discovered it would be facing Arkansas in the bowl game, one of Patterson’s first mentions was Carter being “one of our guys” on Arkansas’ staff.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
“He was a coach on the field for us,” Patterson said. “I knew he needed to go away and learn other things. He’s a great leader, great role model and great teacher. He was even a great recruiter for us as a player. He brags about being undefeated.
“He’s like one of my sons. He’s very close to my family. Sam Carter is a guy we think very well of in the Patterson house.”
Carter was a four-year lettermen (2011-14) at TCU, joining the program as a quarterback prospect in the 2010 class out of Alief Hastings High School. He transitioned to safety and ended up being a three-time All-Big 12 selection at that position (second-team 2012, 2013, 2014).
Carter had 13 interceptions over his final three seasons, which led all Big 12 players.
Carter was not made available for an interview leading into the bowl game by Arkansas, which cited its program’s policy to not allow assistant coaches to meet with reporters. But Carter’s former teammates recalled just how good he was during his playing days and how they could see his future as a coach back then.
“Sam was basically a coaching prodigy,” said former safety Chris Hackett, who played with Carter from 2012-14. “He was our Coach P when Coach P wasn’t around. He was a guru knowing everything play-wise, making sure everyone was lined up.”
Added former cornerback Kevin White, who was part of the 2010 class with Carter and was a lettermen from 2011-14: “Sam was always a quarterback at heart. QBs are usually the smartest guys on the field and he kept that with him transitioning to defense. He was an extension of Coach P on the field.”
Carter’s senior season in 2014 marked one of the best in TCU history. The Frogs ranked as the Big 12’s top overall defense, going 12-1 with a Peach Bowl victory and No. 3 ranking at the end of the year.
There is still a ‘what-if’ factor for several of those players as TCU was snubbed of a berth in the College Football Playoff.
As Hackett said, “Don’t get me started on the College Football Playoff. We’ll be here for two hours.”
What isn’t up for debate is just how good that defense was. TCU led the Big 12 with 26 interceptions, including five returned for touchdowns. Hackett had a Big 12-leading seven interceptions, while Carter, Derrick Kindred and Paul Dawson all had four apiece.
The safety corps of Carter (strong), Hackett (weak) and Kindred (free), along with starting cornerbacks White and Ranthony Texada, formed one of the best secondaries of the Patterson era.
“We just clicked back there. It’s hard to explain,” White said. “We came in together and grew up together. There were things that just didn’t have to be said. You just knew it. And Sam was always back there calling out plays before they happened. It allowed us to play a lot faster as a group and that’s why we had so much success.”
Carter is still doing that, just in a different capacity for a different program. Former teammates such as Hackett and White, as well as Patterson, are excited to see his growth in the coaching industry.
They wish him well, but not too well come Thursday night.
“Just knowing Sam and how competitive he is, and how competitive Coach P is, it’ll be a good game,” White said. “Hopefully TCU wins but I know Sam will have his guys prepared.”
