Chris McNaughton is in his seventh year (2025) as an Assistant Women's Soccer Coach at Wayne State College, serving as goalkeepers coach for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats finished the 2024 season at 7-7-5 overall and eighth place in the NSIC with a 6-4-4 league mark, qualifying for the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2019. WSC recorded eight shutouts during the season, tied for the second-most in school history. The 'Cats posted their first .500 record in NSIC play since 2016 and the best record in conference play dating back to 2005.
Wayne State allowed 10 fewer goals during the 2023 season, posting records of 7-8-3 overall and 5-6-3 in the NSIC (10th place). The seven wins were the most for a Wildcat women's soccer team since the 2016 season (9-6-3).
During the 2022 season the Wildcats compiled records of 3-11-4 overall and 3-9-3 in NSIC play (12th).
WSC posted records of 6-8-4 overall and finished ninth place in the NSIC with a 6-6-3 league record during the 2021 season after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
In his first season at WSC (2019), McNaughton helped coach the Wildcats to a 6-9-4 record (6-7-2 NSIC). It was the first time since the 2006 season that the Wildcats qualified for the NSIC Tournament.
McNaughton came to Wayne State after serving three seasons as head coach at Missouri Southern, where he inherited a team that was 2-15-1 and improved the Lions' win total each season culminating with a 7-8-3 mark and 4-6-2 league record in 2018.
Prior to Missouri Southern, McNaughton was an assistant coach at Division I Louisiana-Monroe for three years (2013-15) and four seasons (2009-12) as assistant coach at Arkansas-Little Rock.
McNaughton gained head coaching experience at Lyon College, an NAIA program in Arkansas where he was 34-19-3 in three years after inheriting a program that was 8-39 prior to his arrival. He was 13-6 in his first year as head coach (2006) and coached 15 players that received First or Second Team TranSouth All-Conference honors.
McNaughton began his coaching career as an assistant men's and women's soccer coach for four years at his alma mater, Ottawa University in Kansas. He helped coach the women's team to three consecutive KCAC post season tournament titles and three straight regular season championships while reaching the NAIA Region IV Tournament four straight seasons. The men's team won the 2004 KCAC postseason tournament title and made its first-ever Region IV tournament appearance under McNaughton.
As a player at Ottawa, McNaughton was a five-time NAIA Academic All-American and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and minor in management information systems in 2002 followed by a master's degree in business administration from Ottawa in 2004.
McNaughton has earned his USSF "A" Senior License and has received the USC Premier Diploma and USC National Goalkeeping Diploma. Other professional development for McNaughton include TOVO Methodology Course and TOVO 11v11 Course.
McNaughton resides in Wayne.
updated 9/4/25
