Eastern Illinois University Athletics

Kiara Carter joined the Eastern Illinois women's basketball staff in August of 2023. 
 
Carter, a former player at Michigan State, comes to EIU after coaching last season at Wagner helping coach the team to a .500 record in Northeast Conference play.   Carter helped serve as the program’s recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator.
 
“I’m excited about the experience Kiara has as a college coach and what that will bring to our program,” said Bollant.  “Add in her ties in the Chicago area and she will help bolster our recruiting as we build our program.”
 
Carter attended at Homewood-Flossmoor High School before going on to play at Michigan State where she was part of the Spartans 2016 & 2017 NCAA Tournament teams and the 2018 WNIT team.  Carter played AAU basketball for the Mac Irvin Lady Fire and later coached with the program with the U15 and U17 programs.  In 2021 she helped lead the team to the U15 LBI Michigan Madness title.
 
She joined the college coaching ranks as an assistant coach at St. Xavier University in Chicago.  She helped lead the NAIA school to a 48-8 record over two seasons including a 32-1 mark in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The school won a pair of CCAC conference titles and in 2020-21 made the NAIA National Tournament.
 
Carter then coached for one season at John Carroll University as the team posted a 23-5 record including a 15-2 record in the Ohio Athletic Conference.  John Carroll reached the OAC Championship game and earned bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.  The program finished the year ranked No. 7 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25.
 
A previous attendee at the WBCA Final Four Convention as a senior at Michigan State, Carter was selected to attend and participate once again in 2021-22.
 
As a coach Carter has helped coach three NAIA All-Americans, two Division III All-Americans with two All-NEC players this past season at Wagner.
 
Carter earned her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State in 2018 and a master’s degree from Mercy College in 2020.