Cater was made the 12th head coach of the Shepherd University Rams football team on February 9, 1987 and also served as the college's athletic director from 1993 to 2004.
He is Shepherd College's and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's all-time winningest coach.
He currently resides in Martinsburg, West Virginia with his wife, Bonnie, and their two children, Taylor and Logan.
On December 5, 2015 with a win over Slippery Rock in the Super 1 Region Final, Cater achieved his 250th victory as a college football coach.
Cater had been the active wins leader in all levels of college football with 274 career victories.