Bill Tate (American football)
Tate, circa 1951 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 9, 1931 Mattoon, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 23, 2025 (aged 93) |
| Playing career | |
| 1950–1952 | Illinois |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1959–1963 | Illinois (assistant) |
| 1964–1968 | Wake Forest |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 17–32–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| ACC Coach of the Year (1964) Rose Bowl Hall of Fame (1996) | |
William L. Tate (September 9, 1931 – June 23, 2025) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Wake Forest University from 1964 to 1968, compiling a record of 17–32–1. Tate was a graduate of Mattoon High School in Mattoon, Illinois. Tate played college football as a fullback at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1950 to 1952. He was the most valuable player of the 1952 Rose Bowl, rushing for 150 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns as Illinois defeated Stanford, 40–7.[1][2] He died June 23, 2025, at the age of 93.[3]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1964–1968) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Wake Forest | 5–5 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1965 | Wake Forest | 3–7 | 2–4 | 7th | |||||
| 1966 | Wake Forest | 3–7 | 2–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1967 | Wake Forest | 4–6 | 3–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1968 | Wake Forest | 2–7–1 | 2–3–1 | 6th | |||||
| Wake Forest: | 17–32–1 | 13–18–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 17–32–1 | ||||||||
References
- ^ "Wake Forest Hires Bill Tate As Football Coach for 4 Years". Herald and Review. January 30, 1964. p. 21. Retrieved July 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ King, Don (November 19, 1968). "Bill Tate Quits As Wake Forest Football Coach". The Herald-Sun. p. 16. Retrieved July 22, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Arnold, McQuade (June 29, 2025). "Breaking: College Football Head Coach Who Helped Black Players Break Segregation Tragically Passes Away". GridironHeroics.com. Retrieved June 30, 2025.