St. Louis native Corey Tate has been tabbed an assistant coach for the Saint Louis University men’s basketball team, head coach Travis Ford announced.

Tate, a longtime coach at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., spent last season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Missouri.

“I am thrilled to welcome Corey Tate to the Billiken family,” Ford said. “Corey has worked his way up the coaching ladder from his time as a junior college assistant, to a JUCO head coach, to his time with the St. Louis Eagles and to an assistant coach at the Division I level. He has strong recruiting ties not just locally but around the nation.

“Corey has a great reputation not just as a coach, but the type of person he is,” Ford said. “I have never heard one bad word spoken about Corey Tate. I am happy that he and his family are getting an opportunity to return to his hometown as Corey continues his coaching career.”

Tate, who begins at SLU on Monday, Aug. 1, is the third and final assistant added to Ford’s staff, joining Will Bailey and Van Macon.

“I am excited about coming home to St. Louis and bleeding blue,” Tate said. “Coach Ford and the staff have this program pointed in the right direction, and I am thankful to be a part of it.”

Tate spent 11 seasons as head coach at Mineral Area College, helping the Cardinals win three NJCAA Region 16 championships and six conference championships. He was named the conference’s Coach of the Year twice and was named the Region 16 Coach of the Year in 2005-06.

Prior to joining the staff at Missouri last season, Tate served as head coach of the St. Louis Eagles under-17 Nike EYBL team.

Tate, who prepped at Pattonville High School, grew up just blocks from the SLU campus. After playing one season at Mineral Area, he transferred to Missouri and played three years (1994-97) under head coach Norm Stewart.

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