BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University has announced that longtime Viking Athletics leader and Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame coach Steve Card will serve as the interim Director of Golf for the 2026-27 season.
 
Card returns to lead the program he guided for two decades carving a Hall of Fame coaching career, and then a 10-year run as WWU's Director of Athletics. Card steps in to lead the men's and women's program for the upcoming season after Luke Bennett announced he stepped down from the position last week.
 
"WWU Golf has always been a special part of my life, and I am excited to help carry it into the next phase over the next year," said Card. "It's a great group of student-athletes that have achieved a lot at the conference and national level. I look forward to working with both teams as we aim for another successful season in 2026-27."
 
Card brings more than three decades of experience at Western, including 20 seasons as the head coach of the WWU men's golf program from 1993-2013 and 10 years as the university's Director of Athletics from 2013-23. During his coaching career, Card established WWU Golf as one of the premier programs in NCAA Division II, leading WWU to 45 tournament victories and 12 national championship appearances, including eight NCAA and four NAIA appearances. His teams also made 15 consecutive NCAA Division II West Region appearances.
 
Card's coaching resume includes 29 All-Americans, six All-America Scholars, 11 conference Coach of the Year awards and six consecutive conference Players of the Year from 2008–13. Under his leadership, the Vikings captured six consecutive conference championships from 2008–13 and reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals in 2013, the program's best national finish. Card also played a significant role in bringing the 2009 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships to Whatcom County where WWU served as the host at Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, and served on the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Committee, including a term as national chair in 2011-12.
 
Following his coaching career, Card continued to make a significant impact on Viking Athletics as an administrator. After serving for many years in athletics administration and business operations, he became interim Director of Athletics in 2013 and was appointed the university's sixth Director of Athletics in 2014. During his decade leading the department, Western captured three NCAA Division II national championships, five national runner-up finishes and more than 40 GNAC championships, while consistently ranking among the nation's top Division II athletic department in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings.
 
Card's commitment to student-athletes and the broader mission of Viking Athletics has been recognized at both the conference and national levels. During his tenure as athletics director, WWU continued to produce championship-caliber teams while maintaining a strong emphasis on academic achievement and the overall student-athlete experience. He also served in national NCAA leadership roles, including chair of the NCAA Division II Championships Committee, providing him with a broad understanding of collegiate athletics and the unique opportunities and challenges facing Division II programs.
 
Card was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame in 2023, capping a remarkable career that has spanned coaching, administration and national leadership. His return to Viking Golf brings that experience full circle, reconnecting a Hall of Fame coach with the program he helped establish as a national contender and providing Western with a leader who understands the tradition, culture and expectations of Viking Athletics from the inside out.
 
WWU will announce two assistant coaches to help with the men's and women's program for the 2026-27 season in the coming days.