INDEPENDENCE — Independence Community College trustees on Monday promoted ICC linebacker coach Steve Carson to the role of head coach.

Carson replaces Lamar James, who passed away unexpectedly in late November while on a trip to Mississippi to visit family members.

A committee consisting of ICC faculty members Tammie Geldenhuys, Tony Turner, Patrick Nee, John Eubanks, Diana Curtis and Max VanLaningham recommended Carson for the head coaching post. He began his duties on Tuesday of this week at an annual salary of $47,000.

Carson recently completed his first season at linebacker coach after spending six years in NFL-Europe serving as defensive coordinator for the Frankfurt Galaxy and Berlin Thunder and as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach with Rhein Fire.

Carson also served as advance scout for Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as secondary coach in the XFL with Galen Hall and the Orlando Rage.

In the college ranks, Carson has served as defensive coordinator from 2003-2005 at Liberty University and 2006 season at North Carolina-Pembroke.

Coach Carson began his extensive coaching career at Wisconsin Eau Claire, serving as defensive coordinator from 1980-84. Other stops as defensive coordinator were at Montana State, East Tennessee State and Humboldt State as well as secondary coach at University of Wisconsin and Rutgers University. Coach Carson has also spent six years coaching in the high school ranks.

Throughout his coaching career, Carson has helped his teams win seven conference and division championships, college bowl game, three world bowl appearances, one world bowl championship, one super bowl championship, and one 1AA national championship.

Carson was letterman in football and baseball at Drake University.