LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY

Lindenwood University’s longtime athletics director, John Creer, who guided the school’s move to the NCAA and as a track coach helped earn Lindenwood’s first national championship, Friday announced his decision to retire at year’s end. Creer called his coaches and staff together Friday morning to tell them of his decision. Lindenwood President Michael D. Shonrock plans to conduct a national search and anticipates the new athletics director to begin around January 1, 2016. Creer has been a member of the Lindenwood community since 1991 when he was named the school’s dean of students, a position he held until 1999. In 1996, Creer also became the head coach of Lindenwood’s cross country and track and field teams, and in 2001 he was named the school’s athletics director.