The Minnesota Vikings named Keith Carter assistant offensive line coach on Feb. 25, 2025. Carter, who spent the past two seasons (2023-24) with the New York Jets as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, brings two decades of coaching experience spanning the collegiate and professional ranks to Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's staff.
During the 2024 season, Carter played an integral role in the development of rookie OL Olu Fashanu, who was selected by the Jets in the first round (11th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Penn State. Fashanu started seven of the 15 games he appeared in and only allowed one sack in 372 pass blocking snaps played, according to Pro Football Focus. He was the only rookie tackle to play at least 100 pass blocking snaps and allow no more than one sack during the 2024 regular season. Carter's offensive line also helped the Jets average 4.30 yards per rush in 2024, the team's third-highest average over the past 10 seasons (2015-24).
Despite playing an NFL-high 13 different starters on the offensive line in 2023 due to injury, Carter oversaw a unit that helped second-year RB Breece Hall record 1,585 yards from scrimmage, the fourth-most league wide. Hall was also the only running back in the NFL with at least 75 receptions and 500 receiving yards in 2023.
Prior to joining the Jets, Carter spent five seasons (2018-22) with the Tennessee Titans as the team's offensive line coach. During Carter's tenure, his offensive lines helped the Titans rank second in rushing yards per game, averaging 139.9 yards, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens (170.8). Additionally, the team's 11,471 total rushing yards over the five-year span ranked second, while their 4.7 yards per carry was fourth best in the league. The Titans finished in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing yards per game in four of Carter's five seasons leading the offensive line, including ranking second in 2020 (168.1) and third in 2019 (138.9), and they averaged at least 125 yards per game in every season from 2018-22.
Carter spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-17, serving as their assistant offensive line coach in 2015 and 2016 before being promoted to running backs coach ahead of the 2017 season. Carter was a member of the Falcons coaching staff that led the team to an appearance in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots. The offensive line helped pave the way for Atlanta to finish fifth in the NFL in rushing that season, averaging 120.5 yards per game.
Carter originally entered the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks as an offensive quality control coach from 2012-13. Prior to his time in the NFL, Carter coached at the collegiate level at the University of San Diego (2009-11), University of Redlands (2007-08), Wagner College (2006) and his alma-mater UCLA (2005). He also spent the 2014 season at San Jose State, coaching the offensive line and managing the run game between stints with the Seahawks and Falcons.
Carter played tight end and fullback at UCLA from 2001-04 and is the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Fame DE Gino Marchetti, who played 13 seasons for the Baltimore Colts from 1953-66 following his rookie season with the Dallas Texans in 1952. A native of Downingtown, Pa., Carter and his wife, Kristin, have two daughters, Kayla and Kamryn.
