A Tribute to Coach Vickie Croley Upon Her Retirement from Western University

By Bob Vigars, LLD’24

How did she get the job in the first place? It’s circuitous.

In September 1972, Bob Vigars, who had been head coach of the Men’s Track & Field Team since 1968, took over from Fran Eberhard (Wigston), MA’79, head coach for Women’s Track & Field.

In January 1990, Alison Doherty (Armstrong), BA’83, PhD’92, was appointed to a full-time faculty position and also took over head coach for Women’s Track & Field. Alison was a team member of the three consecutive National Championships teams that won in 1981, 1982, and 1983.

This hire and change in the women’s head coach position occurred because the Dean wanted to hire more female faculty members and he needed Athletic Department money, along with academic funds, to make this happen. To make this possible, Bob was asked if he would give up his position as the women’s team head coach.

In April 1993, Alison resigned from the head coach position in pursuit of a faculty tenure-track position. She knew this was the only way she could become a tenured professor.

In the spring of 1993, the Women’s Track & Field team head coach position was advertised and in September 1993, Vickie Croley was hired. Her first season at the helm was the winter of 1994.

In the spring of 1999, after 31 seasons as head coach of Men’s Track & Field (and 17 seasons as head coach of Women’s Track & Field), Bob Vigars retired from that post but stayed on as head coach of Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams and as a full-time faculty member and Kinesiology Undergraduate Program Chair.

Vickie’s Journey to make Mustang Sports History

In 2002, during her 9th season as head coach, Western Women won the National Championships for the fourth time in Western’s history.

In 2012, during her 13th season as head coach of Men’s Track & Feild in 2012, the team won the National Championships for the first time.

In 2025, during her 32nd year and final year as a Western head coach, for the first time in Mustangs Sports History, both the Women’s and Men’s teams won the National Championships–the only time the men’s and women’s teams won both titles in the same year.

How Good Was This? The quality of athlete in the sport of Track & Field is easily measured – it’s how fast, how far, and how high. An examination of the times and distances achieved by this year’s men’s and women’s teams, collectively and individually, is astounding. There is no question: the 2024-25 women’s team and the men’s team are the strongest squads in the history of Mustangs Track & Field, dating back more than 100 years for the men’s team, and at least 75 years for the women’s team.

These teams were loaded in talent and both ranked #1 in the weekly rankings throughout the season. These rankings are based on performances achieved week by week. At Nationals, they withstood—with confidence –the pressure of being top-ranked. Throughout the three-day championship, they competed fearlessly and let their talent speak volumes.

The combined rosters of the two teams have over 100 student-athletes. To compete at Nationals, a high-performance standard must be achieved during the season. Remarkably, 40% of the roster qualified for Nationals.

Vickie’s Legacy

Thoughtful, caring, giving, inclusive, determined, organized, nurturing and collaborative. These qualities are the foundation of how Vickie brought success to her team members and outstanding coaching and support staff. She created and maintains an environment that is student-athlete centered. She trusts her event coaches to lead. She is sensitive and receptive to the inevitable struggles that befall team members from time to time.

Vickie’s leadership qualities have played large in the success of Western Mustangs Track & Field. Over the years she has recruited not only gifted student-athletes, but as well has put together one of, if not the best coaching teams in Canadian collegiate Track & Field.

She loves to coach, and it’s that love that leads her to support and respect her coaching staff, knowing the whole is only as strong as the parts.

In essence, Vickie’s leadership and the respect and trust she gives to others creates a strong bond among the team. It’s family!

Here’s to you, coach. RESPECT!

Bob