Ken Carter

Kenny Ray Carter (born February 13, 1959) is an American business owner, education activist and former high school basketball coach. Carter attended college at San Francisco State, then Contra Costa College, and finally George Fox University, where he played basketball. He was portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the 2005 film, Coach Carter.

Coming from an abusive family, Carter was raised strictly on academics, but found a liking in sports. As a basketball coach, he maintained that his athletes must take their studies seriously, as good academic performance would give them access to college and other opportunities in life.

This belief was put to the test when, as a high school basketball coach at Richmond High School, he locked out his undefeated team for not honoring academic and behavioral contracts. While the community was outraged at first, public opinion eventually changed, and Carter was praised for his determined emphasis on prioritizing good values for his team. His approach also bore results: every one of his players at Richmond, where he coached from 1997 to 2002, graduated.

The story of the 1999 season is the basis for the 2005 film Coach Carter, with Carter played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Carter continues to coach sports teams, except basketball. Currently, he is the coach of the Slamball team Rumble. He led Rumble to their first-ever Slamball Cup victory in 2001/2002. Carter has said that the greatest moment in his life was when he carried the Olympic Torch for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

He has a son named Damien (who played for his father at Richmond, and was portrayed by Robert Ri'chard in the movie) and currently resides in San Antonio, TX.

In the fall of 2005, Carter proposed to open a boarding school called "Coach Carter Impact Academy" in the town of Marlin, Texas. The school never opened and by 2012, the project had been abandoned.