On Monday, Clark Atlanta University (CAU) announced that head football coach Willie Slater has been dismissed from his duties “effective immediately.”
The school said that the decision came after an evaluation of unresolved challenges that the CAU football team has experienced during the 2023 season. Many opportunities to make significant changes were explored but were met with minimal success, according to the university.
Slater’s firing comes after a slow start to the season with The Panthers are heading into the sixth week of the season without a victory.
“This decision was not made lightly, a great deal of time was spent in thought and in discussions with people who love our university, students, faculty, alumni, leadership, and Coach Slater,” CAU officials said. “We appreciate Coach Slater for his dedication and contributions to CAU’s football program. There is no doubt that Coach Slater has had a tremendous impact on our institution, and we are grateful to him for his support and hard work during his tenure.”
Slater was named CAU’s head football coach in February 2022. Prior to coaching at CAU, Slater spent 16 years coaching at Tuskegee University where his teams were 123-47, winning multiple Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.
The university will announce a “strategy for the remainder of this football season,” according to a press release.
“The university encourages the CAU family to rally around our scholar athletes in our football program as well as the leadership team as they strategically plan for the remainder of the season,” the university said. “As always, the welfare of our students is paramount, and we will move forward expeditiously to make the necessary reforms.”
