Donovan Tate Season 2025
Donovan Tate, with 13 years of coaching experience, was elevated to his current role as LSU’s Director of Recruiting in January of 2025. Tate previously served as LSU’s Associate Director of Recruiting and as a recruiting specialist for the Tigers.
Tate joined the LSU staff with an extensive background that includes coaching at both the collegiate and high school levels along with over a decade of experience in the classroom as a teacher. He also served as the Dean of Students at Brusly (La.) High School for two years (2020-21).
Prior to his arrival at LSU, Tate coached running backs and returns specialists at Norfolk State University. He got his start in coaching in 2012 at East Central Community College in Mississippi, coaching the wide receivers and return specialists.
Tate’s coaching experience at Hattiesburg High School (HHS) includes a highly successful tenure as offensive coordinator. In 2019, Tate led the Hattiesburg Tigers to a strong finish after a challenging season, scoring over 40 points in each of the final four games, falling just shy of the state playoffs. He was also named offensive coordinator for the Mississippi High School Activities Association Bernard Blackwell North vs. South All-Star Classic in Gulfport.
Prior to 2019, Tate spent the 2017 season as the wide receivers coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before returning to Hattiesburg High School as an assistant coordinator and wide receivers coach. Under his guidance, the HHS offense produced standout players such as Ole Miss signee and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Jarod “Snoop” Conner, 1,200-yard all-state wide receiver Darius Ruffin, and the dynamic 5A Mr. Football recipient, Jarod Murphy.
In 2017, the Tigers finished with a 14-1 record and appeared in the state championship game. The following year, the Tigers went 13-1 overall, capturing a second consecutive Region 3-5A Championship. The Tigers’ high-powered offense set the Mississippi state record for point per game (46.7) and amassed over 3,700 passing yards, 3,000 rushing yards, and 89 total touchdowns. Tate also presented the “Quick 6” offense as a guest speaker at the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic in 2018.
Before his time at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, Tate coached at Hattiesburg High School for four seasons, helping develop numerous high-level players, including MHSAA All-State QB Julian Conner, 4-star running back Fabian Franklin and wide receiver Jordan Murphy, the 2016-2017 MHSAA 5A Mr. Football. Tate’s offensive system played a crucial role in the development of these athletes and in the overall success of the program.
Tate began his coaching career in 2012 at East Central Community College in Mississippi, where he served as the wide receivers coach, helping Ricky Hunt and Brock Hall earn MACJC Honors.
Other stops for Tate include assistant football coach and head women’s track & field Coach at Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth, TX, a Class 6A institution. Earlier in his career, Tate worked at Brusly High School in west Baton Rouge, where he held multiple positions: Dean of Students in Alternative Placement, Assistant Offensive Coordinator, and Assistant Coach for boy’s and girl’s track and field.
Beyond coaching, Tate has also excelled as an educator. He’s taught at all levels of education and was recognized as New Teacher of the Year in his first year at NR Burger Middle School in Hattiesburg. While at Woodley Elementary, Tate helped the school secure educational grants from notable organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi and Mississippi Power. In 2016, Tate received the Education Enrichment Award from the Iota Theta Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
A 2007 graduate of Hattiesburg High School, Tate earned honorable mention MACJC All-State honors while playing wide receiver for East Central Community College. He was a Dean’s List Scholar, an Academic-All NJCAA recipient, and a Fellowship of Christian Athletes member. Tate completed his Associate’s Degree in 2008 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from Nicholls State University in 2010, where he was named an All-Conference Academic honoree. He also completed a Master’s in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education Administration in 2013.
Raised in the historic “Goula” community in east Hattiesburg, he’s the son of the late Tremaine Tate and Frederick Tate, who is the defensive line coach at Tarleton State University.