ATLANTA — Clark Atlanta University's head football coach Willie Slater was dismissed from his duties "effective immediately," the university announced Monday.
The decision came following an evaluation of CAU's football team during the 2023 season. The university said there were some unresolved challenges. The school explored many opportunities for change but they had minimal success, the university said in a statement.
The team is 0-5 so far this season.
"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 added. "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."
According to a news release from last year, the university named Slater head football coach in Feb. 2022. Before making the transition to CAU, he spent 16 years at Tuskegee University where his teams were 123-47, winning multiple Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.
In the coming days, the CAU Administration said it will discuss the strategy for the remainder of its football season with its athletics department and the university's Athletic Director Jerel Drew.
"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 added. "As always, the welfare of our students is paramount, and we will move forward expeditiously to make the necessary reforms."
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