SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – For Shawn McLaughlin, a South Lake Tahoe native, being part of a team was something that came naturally.
Growing up in Tahoe, McLaughlin was accustomed to community involvement, watching as his father coached track and eventually varsity volleyball as the head coach at George Whittell High School.
“I used to joke that I was the youngest assistant coach in the country,” said McLaughlin. “I would just go around and help him keep stats.”
McLaughlin’s father was extremely successful as head volleyball coach, going on to win several state championships over his 18-year run at both Whittell and South Tahoe High Schools, allowing McLaughlin the opportunity to find interest in following in his footsteps.
Playing volleyball throughout his school years, McLaughlin was also part of a junior club team in the Bay Area before going on to play varsity volleyball at Lindenwood University in St. Louis.
After graduating from college, McLaughlin started volunteer coaching at a number of different schools including UC Davis, University of Nevada, Reno, University of the Incarnate Word, and more all around the country.
“My dad had a huge impact on my wanting to coach,” McLaughlin said, and pretty early on, he determined that a career in education was the direction he wanted to go in. “Volleyball is my means, in education, in growth and learning. I’ve always loved that element and I think that’s part of the reason that coaching has gone the way it’s gone.”
Among McLaughlin’s accomplishments, he brought many teams to their national tournaments through the club ranks. In addition, he won gold in 2014 at the USA Volleyball Junior National in 14’s USA. In terms of college, he’s been coaching for 15 years, winning several conference championships and attending the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament several times.
En route to becoming a Division I (D-I) coach, the opportunity presented itself in the form of his father running a club and bringing in college coaches.
“One of the coaches he brought in was Jamie Holmes, she was at UC Davis. I approached her and said ‘How do I get into this?’ and she said, ‘come be my volunteer,'” said McLaughlin. “It was a great start to my program and a great start to my career and that pushed me into the rest of it.”
McLaughlin is now in his first headcoaching opportunity at Lehigh University, a D-I school in Pennsylvania, and with his first year completed, the competitive program is allowing him to utilize the skills he’s learned over the years assisting other D-I coaches. “Now this is my opportunity to be super successful and to run my own ship.”
Despite suffering a major injury, his team was still able to overcome adversity and make it to the Patriot League Tournament, an unprecedented accomplishment for Lehigh.
“I think 2026 could be a really fun year for this team,” added McLaughlin, and with seven seniors on the team, they are striving to be victorious.
Although McLaughlin is now soaring high as head coach, he doesn’t forget his roots, and continues to return to South Lake Tahoe every Christmas.
“[South Lake Tahoe] is one of the best places in the world to grow up. It’s also a very active community,” McLaughlin said. “It’s just home. It still feels like home to me.”
