Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Slater Turns Tuskegee into Powerhouse


Willie Slater makes only a fraction of what Nick Saban makes ($4 million a year) to coach college football, but he’s proving Saban isn’t the only coach in the state of Alabama to turn a program into a national contender.

While Saban’s exploits in three seasons at the University of Alabama have been well chronicled since the Crimson Tide lured him away from the Miami Dolphins at the end of the 2006 season, Slater’s accomplishments at Tuskegee University have flown under the radar.

In his first three seasons at the helm of the Golden Tigers, Slater, 53, compiled a 32-3 record, captured the 2007 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) national championship with a 12-0 record, won three consecutive SIAC championships and twice was named SIAC Coach of the Year.

This season, Slater has guided Tuskegee to a 6-2 record overall – with both losses coming to in-state rivals Miles and Alabama A&M. The Golden Tigers are ranked fifth in this week’s Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Football Poll and 16th in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll.

Slater also has Tuskegee in line to win its fourth consecutive SIAC title and 25th conference crown overall. The Golden Tigers put themselves in that position when they rallied in the final minute to beat previously unbeaten Albany State 21-19 last week on the road. Tailback Tony Forney scored the winning touchdown on a 4-yard sweep around left end with 25 seconds remaining to cap an 85-yard drive. The outcome left both teams with 6-1 conference records, but Tuskegee holds the tie-breaker edge.

"This is by far the biggest win for me as head coach for a lot of reasons,'' said Slater, now 38-5. “It means we still have a chance to win the conference. It showed the kids we can come from behind. It has a lot of stuff with it. We've had to go through some things. We've gone through some growing pains. It showed we have grown; we have to keep it going.''

Tuskegee rallied while having to play backup quarterback Joshua Harris for most of the fourth quarter. Harris alternated with redshirt freshman starter Jeremy Williams early in the game, but took over when Williams went to the sidelines with a bruised shoulder early in the final quarter. During the winning drive, Harris completed four of six passes for 70 yards and ran 15 yards on a scramble.

If the Golden Tigers win their remaining conference games at Lane and against Stillman – the bottom two teams in the SIAC – they will win their fourth consecutive SIAC crown.

Tuskegee is Slater’s first head-coaching job. The Coffeeville, Ala., native has been an assistant throughout the state at Troy, West Alabama, North Alabama and Jacksonville State. He also spent two years as an assistant at Temple before coming to Tuskegee. Seventeen of his 30 years in coaching have been as an offensive coordinator.

He is surprised by the success at he has had at Tuskegee. “I’d be lying if I said I knew we’d win as much as have with this being my first head-coaching job,” Slater said. “I knew I could coach, but being a head coach is totally different. In the past, I could pass things on to the head coach, but now it stops with me.

“I didn’t know for sure we’d be this successful, but I was determined to do best I could. The key to all of it is lining up good help. We’ve been fortunate that we have had some good players and some good coaches.”

Legendary Hall of Fame coach Billy Joe, in his second season at Miles, likes the way Slater runs Tuskegee’s program. Before the schools played earlier this season, Joe said, “They play championship type of football every time they step on the field. They are fundamentally sound and they rarely make mistakes to hurt themselves. We’re still trying to get to that championship level.”

Slater, a former quarterback at West Alabama (then Livingston University), said there’s nothing special he’s doing. “My basic philosophy is to get young men to play hard and have good fundamentals,” Slater said. “If you can do that, you’ll have a chance to win.”

Going four-for-four as SIAC champions would mean a great deal to Slater, especially since the Golden Tigers do not compete in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

“We forfeit our eligibility for the playoffs because we play Alabama State on Thanksgiving Day and that’s the first weekend of the playoffs,” Slater said referring to the traditional Turkey Day Classic in Montgomery. “I’d love to compete for the Division II national championship, but the circumstances don’t allow us.

“It would be great to win the SIAC title again. That’s what we try to do. We try to win every game we play and be the best in conference, and the best in the country.”

Slater chuckled when I compared what he has done at Tuskegee to what Saban is doing at Alabama. For the record, Saban is 27-8 with the Tide, including 8-0 this year and ranked No. 2 in nation.

“That’s a different league,” Slater said. “I wouldn’t mind being at that level. When I was at Temple, we played some of those schools, Miami, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Navy when Paul Johnson was there. I think some of same stuff we’re doing works against those teams. I wouldn’t mind having the opportunity to do something against them.”

Who knows, if Slater continues to work his magic at Tuskegee, perhaps one day he’ll get an opportunity as a head coach at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

(Photos by Mark Almond/Birmingham News)

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