Vikings' Carter Happy Raptors Hired Brother -- Butch Carter Takes Over Amid Upheaval

TORONTO - Cris Carter, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, knows about unstable working environments.

His brother, Butch, the new coach of the Toronto Raptors, is getting a crash course.

Cris Carter's team is in an ownership dispute between author Tom Clancy and team president Roger Headrick.

Butch Carter was named Darrell Walker's replacement Friday when Walker resigned after the team traded away Damon Stoudamire, its most talented and popular player, to the Portland Trail Blazers.

"Anytime you're dealing with a young franchise like that, you're going to have opportunities as far as coaching," said Cris Carter, a 12-year NFL veteran. "Hopefully, he can use a situation like this as a springboard to a very successful head coaching career."

While the situation in Toronto is less than ideal, Cris Carter said his brother will accentuate the positive.

"You have to take the best thing out of the situation," he said. "The one thing is they had enough confidence in him to name him as the coach."

Butch Carter brings 11 years of experience as a player and coach to his new position.

He joined the Raptors before this season. Before that, he spent 1991-1996 as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. A second-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, Butch Carter appeared in 361 games in a six-year career with the Lakers, Pacers, Knicks and 76ers.