Josh Vaughan begins his fifth season at Northern State in the fall of 2024. He joined the Northern State staff after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at NAIA Dickinson State University.
Northern went 10-19 overall and 8-14 in the Northern Sun in 2023-24, with two Wolves named to the NSIC All-Conference teams. The Wolves returned to their position atop the NSIC in 2022-23 going 24-7 overall and 19-3 in the league. They qualified for their 15th NCAA postseason appearance as the second seed in the NCAA Central Region. The Wolves won the regular season NSIC Championship, their fifth in the last six seasons. Three Wolves tallied NSIC All-Conference accolades including North Division Player of the Year and eventual All-American Sam Masten. Jordan Belka was named the NSIC/Bob Olson Outstanding Senior of the Year and Masten added CSC Academic All-America® honors.
Northern State went 20-12 overall and 13-9 in the NSIC in the 2021-22 season. The trio of Sam Masten, Jordan Belka, and Jacksen Moni were named to the NSIC All-Conference second team for the Wolves
Northern went 19-2 overall en route to their fourth straight NSIC North Division and NSIC Tournament Championships (overall champion was not award) in 2021. In addition, NSU earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Central Region and played host, reaching the regional championship contest. The Wolves ultimately fell to the 2021 National Champions, Northwest Missouri State. Four Wolves were named to the All-Conference teams, with Parker Fox honored as both the North Division Overall and Defensive Player of the Year. The junior duo of Fox and Mason Stark were named to the All-Region teams and Fox went on to be the program's first NABC All-American since 2009.
In his three seasons with the Blue Hawks, Dickinson State went 40-43 making it to the NSAA Tournament Championship game in 2017-18. He coached five all-conference student-athletes, including the 2019 NSAA Defensive Player and Newcomer of the Year, as well as one All-American.
Prior to his first head coaching position, Vaughan made stops at the University of Mary (2015-17) and MSU Moorhead (2011-13) as an assistant coach, and North Dakota State (2013-15) and Wofford College (2010-11) as the director of operations. In his time at NDSU, the Bison won back-to-back Summit League Championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Vaughan’s teams at both MSU Moorhead and Wofford College also made appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
Vaughan was a 2-year starter at North Dakota State University, under Phillips. He was a member of the 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifying team that won the Summit League regular season and tournament championships. Vaughan received his Bachelor of Science in Sport Recreation Leadership from North Dakota State and Master of Science in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from MSU Moorhead.
Vaughan and his wife, Halie, have two sons and one daughter.
