Tuesday, March 25, 2014

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Steve  Card has been hired as the new director of athletics at Western Washington University.

"I am pleased to announce that our national search identified Steve Card as the person to best lead Western's athletics program. Steve impressed the search committee and the campus with his vision and ideas for the future of the program," Eileen Coughlin, senior vice president and vice president for Enrollment and Student Services at Western, said.  

"This was a nationally competitive search with outstanding candidates and I want to thank both the search firm and the search committee for an excellent job of identifying highly qualified professionals in the field."

Card, interim athletics director at Western since last May, succeeds Lynda Goodrich, who retired last May after 26 years as athletics director.

"It is with tremendous excitement and enthusiasm that I accept the position of director of athletics at Western. Our student athletes will always be my number one priority. We must continue to meet the needs of our students in their academic and athletic endeavors," Card said.

"That includes the overall student athlete experience, consisting of academics, health, competition and life skills development."

Card was athletics associate director for business and financial affairs for 23 years, which included working with 40 coaches covering 15 sports on all operational matters for those sports. He also has served for the past 20 years as head men's golf coach.

He directed the Vikings to 12 national appearances, including a school-record six straight from 1995-2000. He was named league Coach of the Year 10 times, earning GNAC honors six times, and four times was selected NCAA Division II West Region Coach of the Year. He was named WWU Men's Golf Coach of the Century (1900-99), and coached 27 All Americans.

Card, who has a bachelor's degree in business administration/finance from Washington State University, was instrumental in supporting expansion of televised games of Western athletics, increased revenue as interim director and is known for his strong support and commitment to gender equity in athletics.

Coughlin said that Card will be conducting a comprehensive review of the athletics strategic plan.

"This will include a focus on community and external relations with an overall goal of elevating Western athletics as the most forward-thinking Division II program in the nation," Coughlin said.

Card will initiate a national search for an associate director for external affairs in athletics to replace the vacant associate director for business and financial affairs.

The associate director will join a restructured senior management team for athletics. The process to assemble that team, which will maximize expertise of current staff, will occur over the next several weeks.