LSU President William F. Tate during the grand opening ceremony for the building of the Center for Medical Education of LSU Health Shreveport Monday morning, December 11, 2023. Henrietta Wildsmith /The Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

LSU President William F. Tate Resigns, Accepts Same Role With Rutgers University

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated May 19, 2025 12:36 PM ET

LSU will begin its search for the University's next leader following the news of current President William F. Tate's departure for Rutgers.

Tate has resigned from LSU and will accept the same role with Rutgers University, according to multiple reports.

The leader of LSU began his time in Baton Rouge in 2001 and has played an active role in LSU Athletics during his time with the University.

Now, he's set to head to Rutgers to continue his professional career.

“This was a distinctly difficult decision, and one I did not take lightly,”Tate said on Monday. “LSU, its students, faculty, staff, and supporters are all incredible and inspirational. You will forever stay in my heart.”

Since 2001, Tate has assisteed in the “overall leadership, vision and direction for all the LSU campuses across Louisiana”, per the school’s website.

“The LSU system is dedicated to providing a positive learning environment that enables students to achieve their full potential. It includes the LSU Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge (the premier flagship university for the state); campus units at Alexandria, Eunice, and Shreveport; Health Science Centers in New Orleans and Shreveport; LSU Agricultural Center; and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

“As the chief executive and academic officer of both the LSU system and the LSU flagship campus in Baton Rouge, the LSU president provides strategic and collaborative leadership in developing and advancing aspirational goals and plans to achieve LSU’s mission of fostering first-class learning, the discovery of innovations, and the development of Louisiana’s human capital by applying research and scholarship in advancing intellectual, personal, and professional growth.”

William F. Tate is the next Rutgers president. He currently holds the same job at LSU. Should be good news for athletics, one would think.
— Steve Politi (@StevePoliti) May 19, 2025

More on Tate's role during his time both in Baton Rouge and prior:

"Tate has served as Executive Vice President for Academic Affair and Provost, while holding the Education Foundation Distinguished University Professorship at the University of South Carolina. Prior to that, he served as a department chair and dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education at Washington University in St. Louis from 2002 to 2020.

"In addition, he held the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professorship in Arts & Sciences. Prior joining Washington University in St. Louis, he served as the William L. and Betty F. Adams Chair at TCU and as a tenured faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"At South Carolina, Tate oversaw the 13 schools and colleges on the University of South Carolina Columbia campus, UofSC School of Medicine Columbia, and the UofSC School of Medicine Greenville, as well as being responsible for the overall leadership of academic affairs of the university, including curriculum development, program assessment, establishment of academic standards and university accreditation.

"During his time at University of South Carolina, Tate launched Carolina Online as the university’s comprehensive effort to deliver degree programs and professional credentials online; established the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program, which offers postdoctoral fellowships with the specific aim of increasing research productivity on campus; and guided in collaboration with the Faculty Senate the development of a 'Founding Documents' course for incoming freshmen."