James Carson (American football)
James "Big Daddy" Carson Jr. (February 25, 1940 – October 7, 1999) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach of Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi from 1992 to 1998, compiling a record of 54–25–1. Carson's Jackson State Tigers won a black college football national championship in 1996 and back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) titles in 1995 and 1996. They appeared in the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs three consecutive years from 1995 to 1997.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 25, 1940 Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | October 7, 1999 (aged 59) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| c. 1959–1962 | Jackson State |
| Position(s) | Offensive guard, nose tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1963–1964 | Rust (assistant) |
| 1965–1967 | Alabama A&M (assistant) |
| 1968–1974 | South Carolina State (assistant) |
| 1975–1976 | South Carolina State (DC) |
| 1979–1991 | Jackson State (DC) |
| 1992–1998 | Jackson State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 54–25–1 |
| Tournaments | 0–3 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 black college national (1996) 2 SWAC (1995–1996) | |
A native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, Carson played college football as an offensive guard and nose tackle at Jackson State, garnering All-NAIA honorable mention honors in 1962. His son, Ricardo, played football at the school from 1991 to 1994.[1]
Carson stepped down from his post at Jackson State in May 1999 after undergoing intestinal surgery the previous month. He was succeeded as head coach by Judge Hughes. Carson died on October 7, 1999, at his home in Jackson.[2][3][4]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | TSN# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson State Tigers (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1992–1998) | |||||||||
| 1992 | Jackson State | 7–4 | 4–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1993 | Jackson State | 5–5–1 | 3–3–1 | T–4th | |||||
| 1994 | Jackson State | 7–4 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1995 | Jackson State | 9–3 | 7–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | 14 | |||
| 1996 | Jackson State | 10–2 | 6–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | T–8 | |||
| 1997 | Jackson State | 9–3 | 7–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division I-AA First Round | 14 | |||
| 1998 | Jackson State | 7–4 | 7–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Jackson State: | 54–25–1 | 38–12–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 54–25–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- "James 'Big Daddy' Carson, college football coach, dies at 59". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. October 8, 1999. p. 5B. Retrieved October 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com
. - Knobler, Mike (October 8, 1999). "Jackson State's 'Big Daddy' Carson dies". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 1A. Retrieved October 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- Knobler, Mike (October 8, 1999). "JSU loses its Big Daddy". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 1D. Retrieved October 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- Knobler, Mike (October 8, 1999). "JSU loses its Big Daddy (continued)". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. p. 6D. Retrieved October 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .