Brendan Carter joined the McKendree football coaching staff in the spring of 2013. After spending his first two seasons at McKendree as a graduate assistant coach, Carter moves into a full-time role on the Bearcats' staff. Carter serves as the Bearcats' wide receivers coach.
Under Carter's leadership in 2015, the McKendree wide receiver corps established new program records with 2,872 receiving yards and 23 touchdown catches. Four different Bearcats caught at least 30 passes on the year, led by Cameron James' 51 grabs. Sean Dowling also enjoyed a breakout year with 46 catches and a team-leading 688 receiving yards. James -- who was a first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree as a receiver -- closed his McKendree career by setting new career marks for receptions (150) and receiving yards (1,614). Dowling picked up honorable mention All-GLVC accolades. For James, it was the fourth year in a row that he was a GLVC post-season award recipient.Â
The McKendree receivers enjoyed a record-setting year in 2014. The Bearcats established new program records with 276 catches for 2,749 yards over the 11-game season, and tied another mark with 19 touchdown receptions. A record 11 different receivers had at least 10 receptions during the 2014 campaign, including five that topped the 20-match mark.Â
Cameron James earned All-GLVC honors for the third consecutive year by posting career-high totals of 61 receptions for 516 yards with five TDs. Dewayne Gatti closed out his two-year career at McKendree with 40 catches in 2014, giving him a program-record 104 receptions.Â
Prior to arriving at McKendree, Carter spent the 2012 season as an offensive intern at the University of San Diego. Carter served in a wide variety of roles for the Toreros, and he was part of the program's 2012 Pioneer Football League championship squad.
Carter gained his first collegiate coaching experience at his alma mater, Missouri Valley College. He served as a student coach in the spring of 2012, and helped tutor the Vikings' wide receivers. Carter spent two seasons as a player at Missouri Valley, where he averaged 10 yards per reception during his senior season. He was part of a program that collected 17 wins in his two seasons and garnered NAIA top-10 rankings.
In the classroom, Carter earned Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors following his senior season. Carter, a native of El Cajon, Calif., spent his first two collegiate seasons at Southwestern College, a junior college program in California. Carter was a two-year letterman and helped Southwestern to a 2008 conference championship.
Carter graduated Cum Laude from Missouri Valley in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in physical education.
