By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
What’s a high school recruiting analyst and writer doing profiling a college head coach? This is a special case, and new Louisiana Christian University coach Ben McLaughlin is a special coach and man.
A product of Dierks, Ark., he had a stellar playing career as a quarterback for the Wildcats. McLaughlin started coaching as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Christian, then advanced to three years as offensive coordinator at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Next came four years as OC at Louisiana Christian then two seasons at ASH in the same capacity, and recently, a couple years as the head coach at Buckeye.
McLaughlin was on the LHSAA sidelines the last four seasons. Now he’s in a different neighborhood, coaching in college, guiding an NAIA program that just made its first-ever national playoff appearance.
So, I wondered, what’s the difference? How does a head high school coach jump to the college level?
It does happen, but only rarely. The most notable case was 40 years ago when Notre Dame tapped Cincinnati Moeller coach Gerry Faust to step up from a national high school power to one of college football’s most storied programs, because he was such a great success and he was a huge proponent of Notre Dame. It did not work.
Going from local high school football to NAIA level in the same neighborhood, at a program where he played and was an assistant coach, is not a huge jump for McLaughlin. It is a leap of faith, because he is aligned with the Christian principles of the university, and that makes it an even more logical fit.
What’s the difference for LCU’s new coach?
“The X and O’s part of the job is the same. I say all the time, coaches at the high school level are some of the best in the game. There’s a misconception that NFL coaches are better than college coaches, and college coaches are better than high school coaches. That can’t be farther from the truth,” he said.
“The game between the lines is very similar; it’s the duties that come with each job off the field that are vastly different. But even then at the end of the day, it’s all about pouring into these young men, and using this great game of football to prepare them for life.”
It’s a destination job for him. Coming “home” feels good.
“Coming back to Louisiana Christian University is definitely special. (Wife) Meagan and I have two girls, 6 and 8 years old, and we plan on raising them here in the Central Louisiana area.
“I’m no longer out chasing the next job. I’m not willing to up and move like many have to do in this profession. This is where we want to be. It’s very humbling to be able to come back and hopefully change young men’s lives here, just like Coach (Dennis) Dunn and all his assistant coaches changed my life when I was a player here.”
Dunn was head coach when McLaughlin set Wildcats passing records and won a horde of honors about 15 years ago.
“He was a coach on the field. His senior year he literally called the plays in our tempo series. Ben was the consummate leader and teammate,” said Dunn.
“I love him like a son. He’s one of best leaders that I ever coached. I thought so much of him that he became my OC at Louisiana College in my last year there.”
When the Wildcats’ job opened last winter, Dunn immediately knew what needed to happen.
“He is the right guy at the right time for the job and he will lead Louisiana Christian football into the future while embracing the legacy of the past. He can connect the past success of LC football and make it relevant to now because he is a huge part of the historical success of the past,” said Dunn, who now is the extremely successful head football coach at Class 4A power North DeSoto High School in Stonewall.
I think McLaughlin is going to be exactly what LCU needs, for many years to come.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
Lee Brecheen has been covering high school football and recruiting in Louisiana since the early ‘90s. He is owner of Louisiana Football Magazine and can be followed on X @LeeBrecheen. He hosts a YouTube show, The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen. Previews of all state high schools are available on lafootballmagazine.com.