Captain Carter Reading, USMC was appointed head coach of the Navy sprint football program during the spring of 2024, becoming the 33rd head coach in the program’s history.
In his first season at the helm in 2024, Reading directed the sprint football team to a 6-2 overall record, including a 3-0 mark in the CSFL South Division and a spot in the CSFL Championship Game.
As a team, Navy scored 209 points (26.1 pts per game), while holding opponents to 88 (11.0) with three shutouts. The Mids amassed 1,688 yards rushing with 1,180 passing yards for 2,868 yards of total offense. Navy scored 27 total touchdowns with eight field goals, while limiting opponents to 14 total scores (12 TD, 2 FG). The Mids’ defense picked off 14 passes, while registering 56 tackles for loss with 19 sacks and adding 17 pass breakups.
At the conclusion of the season, the CSFL announced its 2024 postseason list of All-League honorees and Navy had 13 different players earn All-Conference accolades. The Midshipmen tallied seven First Team All-CSFL honors – defensive back Seamus Carrasco, offensive lineman John Dutton, running back Hunter Gennicks, offensive lineman Kerry Johnson, defensive lineman David Niski, defensive lineman Mick Tabor, and linebacker Jake Wolinski; four second team accolades – quarterback Luke Wagner, wide receiver Chris Stumpf, kicker Jacori Sutton, and linebacker Simon Burger; and two honorable mention selections – defensive lineman Major Kent and defensive back Sean Bettwy.
Academically, 16 student-athletes from Navy were recognized on the 119-person CSFL All-Academic Team. Seamas Carrasco, John Dutton, Robert Flores, Kerry Johnson, Andy Jones, Major Kent, Lane Landas, Alvin Liu, Tyler Meisenzahl, David Niski, Luke O'Connell, Tucker Opdahl, John Sheddy, Jackson Suddath, Luke Wagner, and Jake Wolinski were all recognized for the Midshipmen.
A 2016 graduate of the Naval Academy, Reading was a member of the Navy sprint football team from 2012 to 2015 and served as a coaching TAD (Temporary Assignment Duty) for the 2016 season. During his tenure, he helped lead the Midshipmen to a 30-5 overall record, including a 24-4 mark as a student-athlete, including winning the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) Championship in 2014. Reading and Navy earned a pair of Star victories, once as a player and another as a coach.
In 2016, Reading graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps.
He attended The Basic School in Quantico, Va. from 2016-17. Reading departed Quantico as a pilot/student at MATSG-21 in 2017, honing his skills through rigorous pilot training at MATSG-22 from 2017-18. His commitment to excellence was evident as he pursued advanced training with VT-27 “Boomers” in 2018, followed by immersive experiences with HT-18 “Hellions” and VT-35 “Stingrays” in 2019, specializing in TH-57B/C and T-44C respectively.
As he continued to ascend in his aviation career, Reading’s determination propelled him to new heights in his primary platform, the MV-22B Osprey. While training with the VMMT-204 “Raptors” in 2020, he worked in the logistics department and as the Navigation Officer. Upon completing his training with the Fleet Replacement Squadron, Reading departed for MCAS Miramar where Reading’s leadership qualities came to the forefront, as he assumed the roles of Navigation Officer and Operations Officer with VMM-362 “Ugly Angels,” where he operated the MV-22B from 2020-24.
His commitment to duty saw him deploy with VMM-362 as part of SPMAGTF-CR21.1 from 2020-21, gaining invaluable experience in high-pressure environments and earning an Air Medal. He spent a brief period in Al-Udeid, Qatar with the Combined Air Operations Center. Building on this foundation, he was assigned as Aviation Life Support System Officer as well as MV-22B Pilot with VMM-362 (REIN) “Ugly Angels” from 2021-23, where he deployed with the 13TH MEU from 2022-23. His expertise and leadership qualities were recognized, leading to his appointment as Aviation Safety Officer and the Director of Safety and Standardization with VMM-362 “Ugly Angels” until 2024, where he played a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of aviation operations.
Upon his return, Reading continued his service as the Director of Safety and Standardization until he was chosen to lead the Navy sprint football team as head coach.
Reading is married to the former Nina Smith and the couple have three children, daughter Emerson Lou, son Carter Jay, and daughter Leighton Mae. In his spare time, Reading enjoys spending time with his family, wake boarding, training for triathlons, playing pickleball, and a quick round of golf.
