Bill Tate

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. He died June 23, 2025, at the age of 93.