Kelly Carter - Head Coach - Rifle Coaches - NC State University Athletics

Kelly Carter

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
khcarter@ncsu.edu
Phone:
(703) 314-3901

NC State has named Dr. Kelly Carter the head coach of the rifle program as announced by Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan on October 29.

“We were very thorough in our search and Kelly Carter brought a unique background that we feel is the right leadership fit to advance the NC State Rifle program,” said Corrigan. “She has a strong background as both a competitor and coach, and we are very excited to welcome Kelly to NC State.”

In her first year at the helm she coached multiple student-athletes to new career highs including Addy Burrow who shot a 597 air rifle score, which is the second-highest air rifle total in program history. Additionally, Dr. Carter's first team set the program's air rifle record in the match against Navy on November 12, firing a 2,368. Against then-No. 1 Alaska Fairbanks on November 13, the team recorded a 4,675 aggregate total which ties for the third-best mark in program history. Dr. Carter capped off her first year with seeing Katie Tedeschi listed as an NCAA Air Rifle Alternate for the NCAA Championships.

Originally from Danvers, Massachusetts, Carter served as the Head Coach of the Virginia based Acorns Junior Rifle Team, (2010-11) and as Assistant Coach (2004-2010) for which is Nationally known for producing top athletes who excel in NCAA Collegiate shooting. During her tenure with the Acorns, Dr. Carter was also an air rifle coach at the Arlington-Fairfax Izaak Walton League for nearly a decade. While coaching both the Acorns and the Izaak Walton League, she was also the head coach at the Lake Braddock High School from 2006-09, prior to which she coached a combined high school team, The Mavericks, marking her first high school coaching opportunity.

Dr. Carter earned numerous honors in her competitive collegiate shooting career, having shot for the University of Kentucky (1981-82) and as an individual shooter, while at Eastern Kentucky University (1982-85). In her sole season as a Wildcat she earned a varsity letter as she was named to the All-SEC First Team in 1982. Dr. Carter earned multiple Mid-Atlantic Conference and Ohio Valley Conference Standing/Kneeling awards during her collegiate athletic career.

Dr. Carter earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics at Eastern Kentucky in 1986. She continued her education while serving in the US Army, at the Army War College, realizing her Master of Science degree in strategic studies in 2011.

After receiving her masters, she became an adjunct faculty for the US Army War College Department of Distance Education, Defense Strategy Course from 2011-2017. While serving as adjunct faculty, Dr. Carter continued her educational quest, seeking her PhD in business administration with a concentration in emergency management at Northcentral University in San Diego, Calif., receiving her doctorate in 2018.

Additionally, Dr. Carter is a 32-year Army veteran where she served across the U.S. and the Globe in Korea, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Hawaii. During her career, her contributions were recognized by earning multiple awards including the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Order of Mercury which is the second-highest Army communications engineering award.