STATE COLLEGE, Pa., July 16 -- Teri Jordan, who has guided the Penn State women's track program since 1984, will retire from coaching to accept new duties associated with disability programming and assisting in the administration of the recently-completed Multi-Sport Complex, Athletic Director Tim Curley said today.

Curley said that Jordan will become Coordinator of Disability Programming and Assistant Coordinator of the Multi-Sports Complex. Jordan's new job will involve developing athletic programming for physically challenged persons, a new area of emphasis for Penn State athletics. In addition, she will be charged to promote, market and attract non-intercollegiate events for the Multi-Sport Building that has been erected behind the Bryce Jordan Center.

"Teri has had a wonderful career as a coach of track and cross country," Curley said, "but has decided to channel her energies into these new administrative pursuits. There has long been a need for a departmental program to offer persons with disabilities and we are delighted that Teri will be focusing on coming up with an innovative plan to address that obligation.

"In addition, we see numerous opportunities to attract some marquee outside events to use the world-class indoor track and other state-of-the-art facilities that are included in the new Multi-Purpose Complex. From her contacts throughout the track world, Teri seems uniquely suited for this responsibility."

Jordan served 16 years as a member of the coaching staff, coming to Penn State from the University of Texas where she was an assistant coach for four seasons.

Active in international coaching, Jordan was coach of the World Championship cross country team in Belfast, Ireland, in 1999. She was coach of the U.S. women's team that competed in the 1995 World Track and Field Championships in Sweden and led the distance runners for team USA in the 1991 World Championships in Japan. She also was coach of the 1988 World Junior Championship team that competed in Canada and led the East Squad in the 1986 Olympic Sports Festival.

Jordan was voted Eastern Track Coach-of-the-Year three times (1985, 1986 and 1990). She was recognized with the same award in cross country in 1984-85. Her cross country teams have consistently been among the top finishers nationally. Three of her squads finished as runner-up in the Big Ten Championships. Penn State won NCAA regional cross country titles in 1984, 1985 and 1987.

The Lady Lions were ECAC Indoor Track and Field Champions in 1989 when they also were ranked No. 1 in the East. Penn State won ECAC outdoor titles five times under Jordan's leadership.

A past president of the NCAA Cross Country Coaches' Association and a member of its Board, Jordan also served a term as president of the U.S. Women's Track and Field Coaching Association. She is a member of the executive board and the international competition committee of the National Women's Track and Field Executive Committee.

As an undergraduate at Kansas State, Jordan was an outstanding runner, setting a world record for 10 miles in 1973. That same year she ran the fourth-fastest marathon in the world, finished second in the Pan-American Cross Country Championships and ran on the AAU National Championship cross country championship team. At one time, Jordan held the American record for the 5000 and the National Collegiate record for the mile run.

Curley said a National search will be conducted to identify Jordan's successor as women's track and cross country coach.