Willie J. Slater facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | Coffeeville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1974–1977 | Livingston |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1978 | Livingston (GA) |
| 1979–1980 | Jess Lanier HS (AL) |
| 1981–1982 | T. R. Miller HS (AL) |
| 1983–1990 | Troy State (OC/RB/QB) |
| 1991 | Livingston (OC) |
| 1992–1999 | North Alabama (OC) |
| 2000–2003 | Jacksonville State (OC) |
| 2004–2005 | Temple (OC/WR) |
| 2006–2021 | Tuskegee |
| 2022–2023 | Clark Atlanta |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2017–2021 | Tuskegee |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 126–59 (college) |
| Bowls | 3–1 |
| Tournaments | 3–4 (NCAA D-II playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 5 Black college national (2007–2009, 2015–2016) 7 SIAC (2006–2009, 2012, 2014, 2017) 5 SIAC West Division (2012–2014, 2016–2017) |
|
| Awards | |
| 5× NCAA Div II Assistant Coach of the Year | |
Willie James Slater is a well-known American football coach and sports leader. He recently coached the football team at Clark Atlanta University from 2022 to 2023. Before that, he was the main football coach at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, for many years, from 2006 to 2021.
Coach Slater's teams were very successful. They won the Pioneer Bowl three times: in 2006, 2007, and 2009. In 2007, his team had a perfect season without any losses. They were named the national champions for small Black colleges that year. His teams won or shared this championship many times. In 2017, Coach Slater also became the athletic director at Tuskegee. This meant he helped manage all the sports teams there. In late 2021, a new coach, Reginald Ruffin, took over his roles at Tuskegee.
Contents
Early Life and Playing Career
Willie Slater was born in Coffeeville, Alabama. He played college football as a Quarterback for Livingston from 1974 to 1977. This experience helped him understand the game from a player's point of view.
Coaching Journey
Coach Slater's coaching career started in 1978 as a graduate assistant at Livingston. He then coached at high schools like Jess Lanier High School and T. R. Miller High School. He moved on to college coaching, working as an offensive coordinator and position coach at several universities.
College Coaching Roles
- Troy State (1983–1990): He worked as an offensive coordinator, helping to plan the team's attacks. He also coached running backs and quarterbacks.
- Livingston (1991): He returned to his old school as the offensive coordinator.
- North Alabama (1992–1999): He spent eight years as the offensive coordinator, helping the team's offense.
- Jacksonville State (2000–2003): He continued as an offensive coordinator.
- Temple (2004–2005): Here, he was both the offensive coordinator and coached wide receivers.
Head Coach at Tuskegee
Coach Slater became the head football coach at Tuskegee University in 2006. He led the Tuskegee Golden Tigers for 16 seasons, until 2021. During his time there, he achieved an amazing record of 123 wins and only 47 losses.
His teams won many championships:
- Black College National Championships: They won this title five times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016).
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Championships: They won the SIAC title seven times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2017).
- SIAC West Division Championships: They also won their division five times (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017).
He was also recognized for his excellent work, winning the NCAA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year award five times.
Head Coach at Clark Atlanta
After his successful time at Tuskegee, Coach Slater became the head coach for the Clark Atlanta Panthers in 2022. He coached there until 2023. His overall college coaching record is 126 wins and 59 losses.
Athletic Director Role
From 2017 to 2021, Coach Slater also served as the athletic director at Tuskegee. In this role, he was in charge of managing all the sports programs and teams at the university. This showed his leadership skills beyond just coaching football.
