Wayne State College

            Scott McLaughlin is in his 19th year (2025) as an Assistant Football Coach and 11th season as Defensive Coordinator at Wayne State College.  McLaughlin also works with the Wildcat linebackers.  McLaughlin was promoted to defensive coordinator following the 2014 season after serving six seasons as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.  He also worked with the defensive line for four seasons prior to being special teams coordinator.
            Under McLaughlin, Wayne State's defense ranked fifth in the NSIC during the 2024 season allowing 327.5 yards per game and posted two shutouts in a season (30-0 at UMary and 21-0 vs. Concordia-St. Paul) for the first time since 2006 when WSC blanked Minnesota Crookston (28-0) and Northern State (7-0) in back-to-back weeks.  
            The Wildcats were 8-3 in the 2023 season and 7-3 in conference play.  Under McLaughlin, the WSC defense led the NSIC and ranked third in NCAA Division II in turnover margin at +18 and was first in the NSIC in interceptions (19) while ranking second with 10 fumble recoveries. 
            In the 2022 season, McLaughlin's Wildcat defense ranked fourth overall in the Northern Sun Conference allowing just 303.8 yards per game as WSC finished the season at 9-3 overall while collecting its first-ever NSIC overall championship to go with second-ever NCAA Division II playoff appearance.  Wayne State's defense ranked #1 in the NSIC in passing defense allowing just 170.3 yards per game and #1 in defense efficiency rating allowing opponents to complete as NSIC-low 50.9 percent of its passes. 
            Wayne State's defense ranked sixth in the NSIC during the 2021 season allowing 375.5 yards per game as the Wildcats posted a 7-4 record for the first seven-win season in a decade.
            In 2018, the Wildcat defense notched its first shutout since the 2011 season with a 34-0 victory at Minot State. Under McLaughlin, Wayne State ranked second in the NSIC in pass defense allowing just 199.8 yards per game and featured the NSIC's top tackler in junior linebacker Tyler Thomsen, who averaged 10.9 tackles per contest.
            Under McLaughlin in 2017 the Wildcat defense tied for the most interceptions (24) in NCAA Division II in the regular season and created 32 total turnovers to rank third nationally while helping WSC to a 6-5 record.
            Scott is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha and played defensive line for the Mavericks.  He also served as a student assistant at UNO and worked as the team's video coordinator for three seasons before coming to Wayne State College.
            McLaughlin earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in continuing education and received his master's degree at Wayne State College in sport management in May, 2009.
            Scott and his wife Lindsay reside in Wayne with their sons Cooper and Noah.

Updated 7/14/25