He played college football for Defiance as a tailback and linebacker.
[4][5] In 1968, Carpenter was hired as a graduate assistant for Ohio under head coach Bill Hess.
[8][9][10][11] In 1975, he joined fellow Ohio assistant coach Frank Ellwood as his defensive coordinator when he was hired as head coach for Marshall.
[19] In 1966, Carpenter was the head wrestling coach for Amana-Clearcreek High School.
[7] Following Carpenter's high school graduation from Nelsonville-York High School, he served in the United States Navy for four years.