NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Belmont athletic director Mike Strickland has announced he is retiring.

Strickland said Monday in a school release that his retirement would take effect June 30. Belmont President Robert Fisher said that vice president/chief of staff Susan West is coordinating a national search for Strickland's successor.

Strickland arrived at Belmont in 1996. The school has added six sports, won 45 conference championships and has transitioned from an NCAA Division I independent to the Atlantic Sun Conference and eventually to the Ohio Valley Conference during his tenure.

Fisher said in a statement that Strickland "took an NAIA program directly to NCAA Division I and built a program that is nationally recognized for its integrity, academic excellence and competitiveness."