For a long time, Wildcat football used to dominate the sports scene in Cleveland. In recent years, fútbol has surged, thanks in part to the efforts of Michael McLaughlin ‘85.

McLaughlin has wrapped up his 29th season as Head Soccer Coach at Saint Ignatius High School. After taking over the program in 1995 he has led the program to new heights during his tenure.

With McLaughlin at the helm, the Wildcats have won an impressive 13 OHSAA Division I State Championships and 7 NSCAA National Championships. As head coach, McLaughlin has an overall record of 510-57-56, to go along with a combined 34 Coach of the Year awards from the NHSCA, NSCAA, OSSCA, GCSSCA, USA TODAY, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

On September 27, 2023, McLaughlin secured career win number 500 with a 3-0 victory over Massillon Jackson. It would also be the program's 700th overall victory. 

In November 2023, McLaughlin led the Wildcats to an unprecedented fifth consecutive State Championship with a victory over undefeated Archbishop Moeller. 

McLaughlin serves as Theology Department Chair and Director of Sophomore Service at Saint Ignatius. McLaughlin, who joined the theology department in 1991, has also seen his boys succeed in the classroom. The Wildcats have won the NSCAA National Team Academic Award 25 years in a row and the OHSAA Team Academic Award for 26 consecutive years. 

McLaughlin was inducted into the Saint Ignatius Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

Varsity

Dan Crew '99 – Assistant Coach 

Joe Popelka '84 – Player Quality Control Coach   

Phil Buzzelli '11 – Assistant Coach

Amir Kettani – Goalkeeper Coach

Dennis Hjort '01 – Chaplain

Junior Varsity A - Blue

Dr. Darren Keefe '87 – Head Coach

David Mugongo '15 – Assistant Coach

Junior Varsity B - Gold

John Rowell '11 – Head Coach

(As of 08/10/2023)

Title: Head Coach

High School: Saint Ignatius '85

College: Quincy College '89

Coaching Experience: 29 seasons (2023)

Overall Record: 510-57-56 (.864)

State Championships: 13

National Championships: 7

(As of 11/13/23)

Program all-time record: 710-139-99 (.801)
• Regular season: 547-104-99
• Playoffs: 163-35

13 OHSAA State Championships
19 OHSAA Regional Championships
23 OHSAA District Championships
7 National Championships