William F. Tate IV is stepping down as president of Louisiana State University to become the 22nd president of Rutgers University.
After making history as the first Black president at LSU, Tate will officially take over as President of Rutgers University on July 1st, 2025, according to Rutgers’ Knight Report. The respected social scientist and higher education leader will replace Jonathan Halloway when he exits his post this summer.
Tate, an alum of Northern Illinois (BS), the University of Texas at Dallas (MA), and the University of Maryland (PhD), will take the helm of one of the nation’s largest universities. Rutgers serves over 69,000 students across campuses in New Brunswick–Piscataway, Newark, and Camden, New Jersey. Rutgers’ May 19 announcement came days after they revealed their plans to announce a new president.
Rutgers’ athletics department is excited to welcome Tate following his successful run at LSU. During his four-year tenure, the LSU Tigers secured national championships in baseball (2023), women’s basketball (2023), and gymnastics (2024). The football program also thrived, producing the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels, and five Top 10 NFL Draft picks.
LSU Athletics has also emerged as a national leader in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, boasting some of the highest-earning athletes across multiple sports. According to On3’s NIL Evaluation, LSU featured the nation’s top-earning gymnast, Livvy Dunne (No. 4 among all athletes), the top women’s basketball player, Flau’jae Johnson (No. 50 overall), and standout quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (No. 6 overall).
His role at Rutgers follows his history-making leadership as LSU’s first Black president and chancellor when he was appointed to succeed former LSU president F. King Alexander in 2021. Before joining LSU, he served as provost at the University of South Carolina, overseeing academics for 13 schools and colleges, including two medical schools.
Tate’s selection at Rutgers comes months after the school cancelled an HBCU conference, citing Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
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