Missouri Western State University Athletics

Missouri Western State University named Andrew Carter as the university's next director of athletics on April 20, 2022. The 2026-27 school year will be his fifth at the helm of Griffon Athletics.
Griffon highlights during Carter’s tenure:
Classroom:

• Three consecutive years with departmental GPA of 3.30 or higher.
• Three consecutive years with over 300 students-athletes earning at least a 3.0 annual GPA.

• Three consecutive years with over 3,500 hours of community service.
• Two consecutive years with MoWest SAAC winning the MIAA SAAC Cup

• 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 represent the best consecutive three years of winning contests in Griffon Athletics in the NCAA DII era.
• 2025-26 saw 6 Griffon Teams earn NCAA DII postseason berths. This is the most in Griffon Athletics history.
• MIAA Regular season Championships in Women’s Basketball (2023-2024) and Volleyball (2025-2026).
• MIAA Postseason Tournament Championship in Women’s Soccer (2025-2026).
• In 2025-2026, every Griffon Athletic program qualified for their respective postseason conference tournament.

 
BEFORE MWSU
Carter has over 40 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, with 2026-2027 marking his 30th year as an athletic director. Stints at NAIA Missouri Baptist University and NCAA Division II institutions Newberry College, Armstrong Atlantic State University and Northwestern Oklahoma State University before joining Minot State in 2016. 
He was appointed to the NCAA Division II Membership Committee in 2019 and has served in numerous other leadership roles at NCAA conference levels. 
In addition, Carter had a successful baseball coaching career, leading his team at Missouri Baptist University to seven consecutive American Midwest Conference championships, earning seven conference coach of the year awards and being inducted into the Missouri Baptist Athletic Hall of Fame. 
Carter attended East Central College, has a bachelor of science degree from Missouri Baptist University and a master of business administration from Lindenwood University. 
Carter spent his early years in mid-Missouri and graduated from high school in St. Charles, Missouri, where he met his wife, Rena. They have seven children and fifteen grandchildren and reside in St. Joseph, MO.