Chris was named the head coach of Gonzaga men’s soccer in November 2025 after initially serving as the program’s interim head coach earlier that year.
McGaughey joined the Gonzaga coaching staff prior to the 2023 season after serving as an assistant coach at CSU Bakersfield and completing a successful collegiate and professional playing career.
During his first full season leading the Bulldogs, McGaughey guided Gonzaga to key individual and program milestones, including an MLS SuperDraft selection (Ben Augee to FC Cincinnati), multiple All-WCC honors, and strong academic achievement with a 3.54 team GPA. The 2025 squad recorded its most points in WCC play in five seasons, highlighted by a 5–1 win over LMU in the final match of the year, and finished the season 5-8-3.
Before arriving in Spokane, McGaughey spent five years on staff at CSU Bakersfield, helping the Roadrunners to four postseason appearances in four seasons of competition, including a trip to the Western Athletic Conference semifinals in 2019. He also led the CSUB Soccer mentoring program, connecting student-athletes with local organizations to promote youth engagement and emphasize education, discipline, and leadership.
McGaughey began his collegiate playing career at Tyler Junior College, where he was a two-time First Team All-America selection and helped lead the Apaches to the 2012 NJCAA National Championship. He then played two seasons at Missouri–Kansas City, earning team MVP honors as a senior in 2014 after playing every minute in goal and recording a 1.37 goals-against average and a career-high 90 saves. He finished his UMKC career with 12 victories and five clean sheets before competing professionally for four seasons with Portadown FC in the Irish Premiership.
"I am very honored and humbled to be taking over as head coach of the Gonzaga men's soccer program," McGaughey said. "My family and I would like to thank our administration for believing in me and trusting the vision I have for GU men's soccer. Having been lucky enough to be here for the last three years, I understand the goals and expectations of the department, and I firmly believe Gonzaga and the Spokane community is a perfect fit. This is a great program with a rich history that gives our student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level. I am very proud of the work we have done over the last year, and I am excited for the future of this program."
A native of Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland, McGaughey resides in Spokane with his wife, April, and their children—Elizabeth, Finn, and Lyla. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a focus on Anthropology from UMKC in 2015 and a Master of Public Administration from CSU Bakersfield in 2020.
