New Clark Atlanta football coach Willie Slater is familiar with the weekly grind of competing in the SIAC.
So when he says he has confidence in the Panthers’ ability to be a good team in 2023, it would be wise to believe him.
“We’re looking forward to the guys practicing enthusiastically and hard, doing the best they can to get in shape,” said Slater, entering his first season in charge of the Panthers following a successful 17-season run at Tuskegee. “I like this group of guys, and I think we have a chance to be a really good team.”
CAU finished the 2022 season 3-7 overall, with three of those losses coming by a combined total of nine points. Slater was the winning coach in one of those games, a 45-43 Tuskegee win at Clark Atlanta on Oct. 1.
Now, he hopes to guide his new team over his old one, which hasn’t been a common occurrence in recent years.
“In the last 20 years, Clark has only beaten Tuskegee once. They’ve been good for a long time, so that’s going to be a big challenge for us,” he said. “When you’ve got good competition like we have in the SIAC, it makes everybody better.”
The Panthers were picked to finish 10th in the SIAC’s new single-division alignment this season, giving Slater and his team sufficient motivation to work hard and be prepared for the weekly wars that the conference promises to wage.
Clark Atlanta opens the 2023 season at Kentucky State in the Labor Day Classic on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. The Panthers then begin their home schedule on Saturday, Sept. 9 versus. Fort Valley State.
“We want to win every game, and I know that it’s possible that we can,” Slater said. “We’ll line up every week with the intent of winning that game.”
