The 1994-95 school year will be the last for Bill Hunter as Towson State's athletic director.

Hunter, who started at Towson State as the baseball coach 15 years ago and took over the athletic department in 1984, announced that he will step down on June 30, 1995.

"I told [school president] Hoke [Smith] when I accepted this position that I planned to retire at 62. In two days, I'll be 66," Hunter said.

"I like the job, and I think we've accomplished a lot with the help of some pretty good people. I'd like to win a few more championships next year. But then I want to be more of a full-time grandfather."

Soon after Hunter retires, Towson State will leave the Big South Conference to join the North Atlantic Conference, a move he helped engineer over the past two years.

Under his administration, the Tigers have won 17 conference championships, including championships from Towson State's years in the East Coast Conference before the school joined the Big South in 1992.

Towson State also qualified for 18 NCAA tournaments during Hunter's tenure, led by gymnastics (eight) and men's lacrosse (four). The men's basketball team went to the national tournament twice.

Dan McCarthy, the school's vice president for institutional advancement, said he will begin forming a search committee to seek Hunter's successor over the summer. The position probably will be advertised in September, McCarthy said.