INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler women's soccer program and Butler Athletics are proud to announce that alumna Annika (Schmidt) Creel '19 has joined the Bulldogs coaching staff.
 
Creel has multiple years of professional playing experience in the NWSL, most recently with Gotham FC and previously with the Houston Dash. Prior to her time in the NWSL, Creel played in Sweden for Göteborg FC. This summer she helped lead Indy Eleven to a National Championship in the USL W League.
 
"When Tari and Rob presented me with this opportunity, the first thing that came to mind was how amazing it would be to reunite with Butler and be mentored by the best coaching duo in the college game," exclaimed Creel. "The Butler family creates an environment where players can express themselves with the confidence that they are fully supported. It is truly an honor and privilege to be on staff, and I look forward to being able to represent Butler again."
 
Creel, who hails from Zionsville, Indiana, began her collegiate career at UConn before transferring to Butler. In three seasons with the Bulldogs (2017-2019) she earned First Team All-BIG EAST accolades all three seasons and was both a CoSIDA and United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American as a senior.
 
"Tari and Rob, pushed me to be unapologetically myself, on and off the field, when I was playing," reflected Creel. "They enforce a culture of champions and consistently find a way to shape players into the best version of themselves, on and off the field. As a player under Rob and Tari, I learned the best coaches prioritize their players as people first, and when you do that, you are able to mold the best players and the best teams."
 
Creel has been developing her coaching career concurrently while playing, and Co-Head Coaches Tari St.John and Rob Alman expressed their excitement about adding her to the staff:
 
"Annika is a Bulldog! In her time here at Butler, she was the epitome of everything that is great about college athletics and elite-level student-athletes. An All-American, an exceptionally committed, inquisitive and high achieving student in the classroom, a great ambassador in the community, and one heck of a competitive force on the field. Her playing and coaching experience at multiple levels has been excellent, specifically in the areas of individual training and player development, which has been a core focus of her early coaching career. We are incredibly excited for our current players to work with and learn from Annika, and we are so pleased to have her back with our program!"