Another former HBCU football player has moved into the Power Four coaching ranks — this time on Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado. Sanders promoted Dante Carter to defensive line coach, replacing Domata Peko. Peko left earlier this month to take the same role with the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers.
Carter served as a graduate assistant under Peko during the 2025 season before earning the full-time position.
The move adds another name to a growing list of former HBCU players landing Power Four and NFL coaching jobs.
From Prairie View A&M to Boulder
Carter began his college career at Southeastern Louisiana in 2018 before transferring to Prairie View A&M. He played three seasons with the Panthers from 2020 through 2022.
In his senior season, Carter recorded 29 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He finished his Prairie View career with 52 total tackles and two sacks across 24 games. The Panthers listed him between 5-foot-11 and 6-foot and around 300 pounds. He wore No. 99 and teammates knew him as “Big Punn.”
Before Prairie View, Carter earned the nickname “Baby Sapp” at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. Coaches named him District 9-5A Defensive MVP during his senior year. That nickname now carries a new meaning. In Colorado, he will coach alongside Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, who serves as pass rush coordinator.
A Fast Start in Coaching
Dante Carter moved quickly into coaching after finishing his playing career in 2022. In 2024, Texas College hired him as its defensive line coach. The NAIA program finished fourth nationally in sacks that season with 39. The unit also led its conference.
Colorado added Carter as a graduate assistant in March 2025. He worked closely with Peko throughout the 2025 season. When Peko accepted the Steelers’ job, Sanders chose to promote from within.
Deion Sanders and the HBCU Context
Carter’s promotion carries added context because of Sanders’ own HBCU background. Sanders coached at Jackson State before taking the Colorado job. During his time there, he helped bring a different level of national attention to HBCU football.
Much of that spotlight focused on recruiting and media coverage. However, that visibility has also extended into coaching opportunities. Former HBCU players have continued to build résumés that earn attention at the Power Four and NFL levels.
Carter’s hire does not stand alone as a breakthrough moment. Instead, it reflects a broader pattern. HBCU experience continues to show up in high-level coaching rooms across college and pro football.
In this case, that path leads to Boulder—and to the staff of the most recognizable former HBCU football head coach in the game.