Stephen Carter’s journey from student manager to assistant coach

Lee men’s basketball graduate assistant Stephen Carter’s love for the game of basketball has never wavered. 

“I fell in love with the game in 4th grade, and I just kept working to get better from there,” said Stephen Carter, Lee men’s basketball graduate assistant. 

Basketball is a generational sport in the Carter family. Stephen’s grandfather, Charlie Carter, played college basketball at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Chad Carter, Stephen’s father, played competitively on a private scholarship at Baylor School in Chattanooga. 

Carter played competitive basketball from 4th grade until his junior year of high school. Though circumstances led him to leave his high school basketball team, he loved the game too much to quit altogether. 

“It was my first time not playing competitive basketball since 4th grade,” Carter said. “After I stopped playing, I was still training. I was still working out.”

He was training to play AAU, or travel basketball. “Back then, it was preached that AAU is where you get recruited.” After a short period of walk-on aspirations, Carter accepted that competitive playing career was over. 

Carter arrived to Lee in August 2016 and spent three years playing intramural basketball, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy his love for basketball. In the Fall semester of his senior year, Carter reached out to the assistant men’s basketball coach of the time, Cole Rose, about joining the staff as a student manager; Rose offered Carter the manager position. 

That season, Carter did a lot of the “unseen work” behind the scenes. The players noticed his hard work.

“Stephen always put himself aside and put us first. He showed up every day with a smile on his face and brought the energy we needed,” said Beyuan Hendricks, senior point guard and psychology major.

After a successful year as a student manager for Lee’s men’s basketball team, Carter graduated in May 2020. Carter spent a year in New York City working for St. John’s University before receiving a call from Lee men’s basketball head coach Bubba Smith. 

“I got a call from him gauging my interest in Lee’s open GA (graduate assistant) job. The GA job was exactly what I wanted,” Carter said. “When he offered the job to me, I had already been begging for an excuse to get back to Lee. It was a no-brainer.” The hire became official in July 2022. 

After setbacks in his dream of coaching basketball, Carter is officially on the staff of a high-end collegiate basketball program. He’s been hard at work since being hired. 

“Our preseason started just this past month, so it’s been slow, but I’ve really been working hard on our socials,” he said. “Whether it’s making our accounts look good, or being aware of recruits, it’s been fun.”

Carter’s impact on staff has already been noticed by Makhi McGuire, a senior business administration major. “You can tell Stephen knows what he’s talking about,” McGuire said. “He’s a good guy to listen to. His basketball IQ is evident already.” 

“It’s been a journey to say the least,” Carter said. “If I had to offer any advice to someone who is where I have been in the past, it is this–don’t be afraid of rejection. Your break will come. Keep working hard and stay disciplined.” 

Carter’s determination led him from student manager to St. John’s and back to Lee in the graduate assistant role he had hoped for. His journey spanned thousands of miles. He told the Clarion that he’s “just getting started.” 

The Flames’ season will begin with an exhibition on Nov. 5 against Sewanee at Lee University’s Walker Arena.