London, ON - It is with mixed emotions that the Western Mustangs announce the retirement of Vickie Croley, long-serving and well respected Head Coach, Western Mustangs Track & Field. Croley will continue coaching through the 2024-25 season, with her retirement date set for summer 2025.

"It has been a privilege to come to work every day in a job that allows me to experience my passion of working with student-athletes in a sport I love." said Croley. "How lucky am I to have been surrounded by such amazing, talented, and driving young people as a coach and mentor throughout my career? I'm honoured to have worked with exceptional coaches and staff who have helped build and maintain the strength of this program. I'm forever grateful to Bob Vigars who set the bar very high and established some of the program's traditions that I wanted to continue as well as start new ones."

This year will mark Croley's 32^nd year as the Head Coach of the Women's Track & Field and 26^th year as the Head Coach of both the Men's and Women's teams at Western University. She was previously also a faculty member teaching activity courses in the Kinesiology program within the Faculty of Health Sciences. Croley was also Acting Coordinator of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics when Karen Danylchuk was on sabbatical for a year in the late 1990's.  

Croley graduated from McMaster in 1985 with an Honors Bachelor of Physical Education and a B.A. in Education from Western in 1987. During her student athlete career, Vickie competed in the hurdles, long jump and relays where she was an OWIAA medalist and CIAU competitor. She was an Assistant Coach at McMaster University 1985-88, acting Head Coach at York University from 1989-90 and Assistant Coach 1990-93 where she coached the jumps.

She is also a coach with the London-Western Track and Field Club where her coaching responsibilities include coaching post collegiate elite athletes as well as the Western University athletes during the spring and summer months.

A NCCP Level 4 Coach and Graduate of the National Coaching Institute who is also a Learning Facilitator and Evaluator. Croley has dedicated her life to supporting athletes and building the sport of Athletics.

During her tenure as Head Coach of the Women's and Men's Track and Field Teams, her teams have placed consistently in the top 3:

Western Mustangs Women's T&F Team

• 22 Top 3 Finishes OUA Women's
• 8x Top 3 Finishes U SPORTS Women's
• 3x OUA Track & Field Women's Champions – most recently in 2024
• 2002 U SPORTS Women's Track & Field Champions

Western Mustangs Men's T&F Team

• 20 Top 3 Finishes OUA Men's
• 1x OUA Track & Field Men's Champions – this year in 2024
• 6x Top 3 Finishes U SPORTS Men's Track & Field
• 2012 U SPORTS Men's Track & Field Champions

2024 marked a significant accomplishment for Croley and the Mustangs as it was the first time in Western University history that both the Men's and Women's teams Track & Field teams won the OUA Championships in the same year. Not only did the Mustangs win both OUA Track & Field Championship banners, but Croley, as Head Coach, was named 2024 recipient of both the Bob Vigars AND Sue Wise awards as Men's & Women's Coach of the Year by her peers.

Croley, who has mentored countless coaches in the field over the years, was quick to credit others for the team's success in 2024. "The double coach of the year award is not mine. It belongs to our incredible staff that work directly with our student-athletes from assistant coaches, medical staff, team managers and Sports & Recreation administrators," said Croley "I'm glad these groups can be recognized in this all-encompassing award."

Croley is recognized as an inclusive, caring and passionate leader who supports people in their goals both on and off the track. She recognizes that being a good communicator, and building a positive relationship with the athletes is beneficial for the student athletes' physical and mental well-being. 

As Head Track & Field Coach for the Western Mustangs, Croley's coaching philosophy has been clearly aimed at developing the whole student-athlete, while also supporting their success on the track and in the field. She firmly believes that if athletes know she cares, they will want to do well. Whenever she is asked about her goals for track and field in Canada, she emphasizes the importance of equity; in making sure that the Athletics Canada Gender Equity Plan is implemented; and to continue to develop future coaches - particularly women - as there is a shortage at the National Team high performance level. She is working hard to be a part of the solution and to mentor up and coming coaches in addition to women in the sport.

Croley is a valued and trusted leader and role model for many, on and off the track. She continues to work to inspire her athletes to not only participate in the sport of Athletics, but also to develop themselves off the track, aspiring leadership and coaching roles and mentoring them to get there. Her Western teams have introduced a Black, Indigenous and Persons of Colour Award, have participated in coordinating Indigenous Youth Track & Field Days at Western for 20 years, coached junior development programs and run the Annual Forest City Mustang Invitational High School Meet. The last two for 30+ years.  As an advocate for women in sports she was the Founder and Chair of the Stay in the Game: Pathways for Women in Sport Conference, the first of its kind at Western University, held in 2021.

Croley has been awarded numerous coaching awards for her outstanding work as Head Coach, Western Mustangs Track & Field, most notably including:

• Ontario Sport Alliance Female Coach of the Year x2
• Petro Canada Coaching Award Recipient x3
• CIS/USPORTS Track and Field Coach of the Year x3
• OUA Track and Field Coach of the Year x6 – including winning for BOTH Men's and Women's teams in 2024.
• OUA Women's Coach of the Year for all sports x2

"Vickie Croley has been an exceptional leader for the Western Mustangs. She models the way as a strong, steady and values-driven leader. She has mentored numerous coaches and is always willing to learn and share, further amplifying her values of playing, winning and growing together. She is a leader in inclusion and equity and has prioritized making connections in the indigenous community, black community and with women in sport. We are privileged as an institution to have a recognized world class coach, who not only is consistently offered international opportunities, but who also is a part of the winning Damian Warner team. She led the Mustangs Track & Field team to an historical achievement this past year and was recognized as OUA Male & Female Track & Field Coach of the Year in 2024 by her peers for this success." – Christine Stapleton, Director, Sports & Recreation, Western University.

In 2023 Croley was inducted into the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame. To be inducted in the Athletics Ontario Hall of Fame, the nominee must have a direct connection to the sport in Ontario, must be outstanding in their athletic endeavor, and have achieved high recognition. Croley has also been inducted into the Western Sports Hall of Fame in 2015; and the McMaster Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

"Vickie was a successful and dedicated competitor at McMaster in the long jump, hurdles and relay teams earning OWIAA medals on her way to a berth at the CIAU championships. She has been a boon to track and field in every capacity she has tried. Vickie coached three seasons at Mac and her ability as a top ranked coach has produced medal-winning performances from her athletes at the national and international levels. She is presently the track and field coach at the University of Western Ontario." McMaster Marauders

In 2017 Croley was recognized as a YMCA Women of Excellence in Western Ontario. As Western University's first female head coach of a men's team, she was recognized as a role model to women seeking a similar career in a male-dominated field.

Croley's individual resumé of achievements outside of Western is also spectacular. She was also named to represent Canada as a coach at the FISU, Commonwealth Games, NACAC, and World Championships. Vickie has coached some of Canada's top high-performance athletes, including National Record Holders; Damian Warner, Catharine Bond-Mills, Nicole Devonish, and Jessica Zelinka – and Caroline Ehrhardt, current Mustang Assistant Coach who set a new Canadian Women's triple jump record at the Bob Vigars Classic in London (Ontario) on May 28, 2023.

Croley was the lead coach of Olympic Bronze medalist Damian Warner at the Rio 2016 Olympics and Damian's Hurdles Coach when he won Olympic Gold and set an Olympic record in at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

In addition, Croley's coaching resume also boasts appointments as a Team Canada Coach for the Commonwealth Games (2022, 2014), World Student Games (2019, 2005, 1991), the North American Central American Caribbean Combined Events Championships (2009), North American, Central American, Caribbean Track & Field Championships Jumps & Combined Events Coach (2002), Canada verses Netherlands Combined Events Coach (1999), World Championships Combined Events Coach (1995), Canada verses Northern Ireland Jumps Coach (1992), and Canada Summer Games Combined Events Coach (1989). Croley's coaching experience also includes time coaching at York University/YUTC, McMaster University, and the Hamilton Olympic Club.

As if she wasn't busy enough, Croley has donated her time as a Director on the Board of the London Western Track & Field Club for over twenty-five years – and is a valued speaker and contributor to athletes, coaches, and her community. She was also a valued contributor to the Athletics Canada Gender Equity Plan; a speaker/panelist at the Ontario Coaches Conference, the NACAC Coaches Conference, and the Border City AC Summit.

"Vickie is the most empathetic, caring, and inspiring leader that I've ever experienced. She goes out of her way to ensure that everybody on the team feels comfortable and confident in order to achieve both athletic and academic success. Her knowledge about multiple events in the sport is unmatched and she's always able to find a way to push this team to the next level. Whether you're in her event group or not, she never fails to help out where help is needed. This [past] year Vickie was the conductor of the First OUA Title sweep in program history but this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the success that she has seen and been responsible for. It's an honour to have her in your corner." - Matt Indome, former student athlete, two-time Captain of the Men's Track & Field Team, 2024 Dr. Claude Brown Memrial Trophy Winner

Over the course of this year, stay tuned to our @WesternMustangs channels where we will be sharing videos of the team, including some of Vickie Croley's culminating moments as Head Coach of the Mustangs Men's and Women's Track & Field teams, as they work towards another successful season.

Vickie Croley's accomplishments as a coach, contributor, and advocate for women in sport is a testament to her love of the sport, and her belief in the power it has to shape lives far beyond the field of play. Croley's enthusiasm for coaching won't end just because she is retiring as Head Coach of the Western Mustangs Track & Field team, and she does plan on continuing to stay connected to coaching in the future. Croley leaves behind an incredible legacy at Western and the Western Mustangs are grateful for all her years of tireless support and passion for Western Mustangs Track & Field.