Lawson Vaughn is embarking on his college coaching journey as a volunteer assistant coach for the Cal State Fullerton Titans women’s soccer team. His second year with the team after joining the program in the fall of 2024.
Vaughn played in Major League Soccer from 2006 to 2009, representing Chivas USA and D.C. United. During his MLS career, he started 42 out of 51 regular-season games, with his standout year being 2007 when he started 22 games, contributing to Chivas USA’s regular-season Western Conference title.
Before turning professional, Vaughn was a four-year collegiate starter, primarily playing as a holding central midfielder. He spent his first two years at the University of South Carolina, where he started 33 of 34 games. Vaughn then transferred to The University of Tulsa, where he made an immediate impact. In 2004, he started all 23 games, tallying two goals and five assists, ranking second on the team in assists and fourth in scoring. His achievements that year earned him spots on the All-MVC and All-Midwest Region Do second teams. A career highlight was his game-winning goal just 22 seconds into a match against Evansville.
Vaughn played a key role in leading Tulsa to its first-ever Elite 8 appearance in the NCAA Division I championship in 2004, helping the team secure a #8 national ranking. He concluded his college career in 2005, starting all but one game for Tulsa.
In high school, Vaughn was a standout at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he was a four-year soccer letterwinner. In 2002, he was named the 5-A Georgia High School Player of the Year and was selected to the NSCAA All-South Region team. Vaughn led his club team, Stone Mountain Storm `84, to three Georgia state championships (1999, 2001, 2002), a USYSA Region III championship in 2001, and an appearance in the USYSA National Championships the same year. He also served as captain of the Georgia ODP State Team from 1997 to 2002 and was a member of the USYSA Region III team from 1998 to 2002.
Vaughn earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Tulsa and a master’s degree in business analytics from Indiana University.
He is married to Desiree Vaughn, a Cal State Fullerton Titans women’s soccer alum. Desiree played for the Titans from 2002 to 2006, helping lead the team to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Division I championship in 2005. Lawson & Desiree have three children and reside in Orange County.
