Former Shepherd coach Cater to be inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
Former Shepherd University football coach Monte Cater has been selected to the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class as one of four head coaches who will join 18 All-American first-team players in this year’s class.
“I can’t think of a more deserving person for this esteemed honor than Coach Cater,” said Shepherd vice president for athletics Chauncey Winbush. “As one of his former players, I know that I can speak for all football alumni as we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Coach Cater for the opportunities he provided us as student-athletes. He changed the lives of so many people through his service as a coach at Shepherd. I know that Ram Nation is extremely proud of Coach Cater for earning this tremendous honor.”
Monte Cater retired following the 2017 season as the nation's winningest active football coach across all NCAA levels, notching 275 victories in 37 seasons — six at Lakeland University (Wis.) and 31 at Shepherd — as he earned wins in more than 70 percent of his games.
Cater, a native of Shelbyville, Ill., becomes the first person from either Lakeland or Shepherd to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Cater's teams made 13 postseason appearances (two in NAIA and 11 in NCAA Division II) during his career, and his teams appeared 16 times in the final national rankings. In 2015, he led Shepherd to the Division II championship game, finishing as the national runner-up. His teams claimed three Super Region One titles, and Shepherd led the nation in rushing defense each year from 2011-14.
He coached 24 All-American first-team players, including 2007 Division II Rimington Award winner Ryan Pope, and he was named the Vince Lombardi Foundation Coach of the Year in 2015.
Cater earned conference coach of the year honors 13 times during his career, won at least a share of 17 conference titles (13 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, four in the Mountain East), and had the most victories and coaching titles in WVIAC history. His teams went undefeated in conference play 11 times, and he coached 182 all-conference first-team players.
Cater had only four losing seasons in his 31 years at Shepherd, and posted winning records during each of his final 14 years with the Rams. He posted six undefeated regular seasons, including his last three from 2015-17, and his 245-93-1 record at Shepherd makes him the winningest coach in school history.
Prior to coming to Shepherd, Cater was the primary architect in reviving the Lakeland program in Plymouth, Wis. He led the Muskies to a 30-24-1 record over six seasons, winning three conference titles in his last four seasons while garnering coach of the year honors twice.
Cater began his collegiate coaching career as an offensive line coach at his alma mater, Millikin University (Ill.), where he also served as co-offensive coordinator. During his coaching stint at Millikin, the Big Blue posted a record of 28-8.
Cater has been inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (2020), the Shepherd Hall of Fame (2007) and the Millikin Athletics Hall of Fame (1999).
He served as Shepherd's athletics director from 1993-2004, and served as a member of the NCAA Division II Football Committee and the AFCA Board of Coaches.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will officially be inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5, 2023, at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Former Shepherd coach Cater to be inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
