ELF: Cologne Centurions sign Kahlil Carter as new Head Coach

| American Football | 10/12/2022

The Cologne Centurions of the European League of Football have announced the signing of Kahlil Carter as their new head coach and defensive coordinator.  

After making the playoffs in the league’s first season in 2021, Cologne had a disappointing campaign this past year, finishing with a record of 3-9.  The team decided to move on from coach Frank Roser after the season ended and began looking for a coach who they believed could turn the team around.  The man they chose for the job is 46 year old, Little Rock, Arkansas native, Kahlil Carter, 

Carter played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC from 1994 to 1997, before transferring to Southern Arkansas University at the Division II level.  After college, Carter played for a number of teams in many leagues, from the Arena Football League to the Canadian Football League to NFL Europe, where he spent time with the Scottish Claymores.  He even was a part of the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills in the NFL, but never saw regular season action.  Carter eventually moved onto coaching, where he has coached teams in places such as high school football, the NCAA, and the Canadian Football League.  He most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL in the 2018 season.  He stepped down from his position after the season due to personal reasons but remained in the organization as a scout.

Carter will take over as head coach and defensive coordinator for a Cologne team that gave up the second-most points in the ELF last season, surrendering an average of almost 40 points per game. 

Centurions general manager David Drane:

“We are pleased to have Coach Carter as our head coach for the upcoming season. He is a young and hungry coach with drive – he always wants to win!  With this positive attitude and his experience both as a coach and as a player at the highest level, we believe we have the right person to lead the Centurions into the new season!” 

Carter is excited for this unique opportunity:

“I am excited and honored to be named the new head coach of the Cologne Centurions.  My family and I are truly blessed to be a part of such a great football organization with such historical and future potential for success… From my time in NFL Europe as a player until now as I return to Europe, I have enjoyed seeing the progress that pro football has made, especially in Germany, and I hope that 2023 will be a statement year for our team and the entire ELF football family.”

A current student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carter played football in high school and has been a lifelong avid football fan.