Skip Steffey enters his 14th season as head coach of the women's golf team with an overall record of 845-646. He was named the GLVC Coach of the Year in 2008-09. His women’s teams have consistently had the highest grade-point average of any athletic team at Lewis, a tribute to the focus on academics that Coach Steffey stresses year after year. Currently the Flyers boast 27 Academic All-Americans as named by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association and were the only team to have all members receive the prestigious Delahanty Awards in 2017.
Under his leadership, the Flyers have gone to the NCAA post-season tournament for the past three seasons. Rachel Sweeney (‘17) did qualify as an individual to represent the Flyers at the NCAA National Finals in 2015. She was the first such participant since Reetta Laakkonen in 2000 and the first Women’s Flyer to post four rounds in the 70’s at the National Finals (78-79- 78-79). Additionally the women have lowered their team scoring average in each of the past four seasons, currently sitting at a school record low of 318.40.
"I hope to continue to create a team atmosphere that is both competitive and family-like" said Steffey, a member of the WGCA and GCAA.
"Our goal is to field a highly competitive team of outstanding students who enjoy the competition that Division II golf can present, while maintaining a primary focus on academics."
In 1971, Steffey earned a bachelor's degree in physical education (English minor) and K-12 teaching accreditation at Texas Christian University. He was a member of the golf team, dormitory council president in 1970 and a graduate assistant golf instructor in 1971.
Steffey continued to play competitive amateur golf and has made numerous appearances in Illinois and national competitions.
Steffey is a resident of Mokena with his wife, Karen, a Lewis grad (’97) who played two seasons for the Flyers women's golf team, twice earning Academic All-GLVC selection. She is a Reading Specialist at Liberty Junior High for District 111 in Burbank, Ill.
The Steffeys are parents of a son, Tres, and a daughter Kim. Tres is a 2004 sport management graduate of Lewis and a four-year member of the Flyers men's golf team, twice earning All-American Scholar recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America. He is a practicing attorney specializing in real estate tax reduction in Western Springs. Kim is a 2006 Summa Cum Laude graduate of Western Illinois University in exercise science and kinesiology. She is a teacher and the Women’s Gymnastics Coach at Lincoln-Way East High School. The Steffeys have one grandson, Future-Flyer A.J. Lago, age 3.
