Alonzo Carter, the former Oakland high school powerhouse, has taken the helm of Sacramento State’s football program as it prepares for its first season in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
A Storied Path to the FBS
Carter’s journey began on the dusty fields of West Oakland, where he starred as a cornerback in the mid‑1980s before turning to track and later to coaching.
He returned to McClymonds High in the early 1990s, a program once known for basketball, and transformed it into a football dynasty, capturing the 2001 Oakland Athletic League championship over Skyline High in the Silver Bowl.
A brief stint as a touring dancer with MC Hammer gave Carter a viral moment in 2017, while he famously sold his Corvette — a gift from the rapper — to fund new uniforms for his team.
His coaching résumé includes stops at Berkeley High, Contra Costa College, San Jose State and the University of Arizona, where he most recently served as assistant head coach.
Carter’s recruiting network has produced more than 100 Division I athletes, among them Oakland natives Ellijah Washington, Jahlil Lindsey and Carleton Perrilliat, as well as running back Lamar Ellis from Bishop O’Dowd High.
Sacramento State is betting on the program’s visibility to secure television revenue and stadium upgrades, even as the university faces statewide budget cuts.
Emphasizing a philosophy of giving East Bay talent a legitimate pathway to the national stage, Carter hopes his first FBS season will mark the beginning of a new era for the school and its supporters.