Chris Scanlon, one of the best soccer players in Westfield State history, is now recognized as one of the top high school coaches in the United States. 

The 1972 Westfield State graduate has developed a powerhouse girls’ soccer program at Winchester, Mass., High School, claiming four Division I state championships and five Eastern Massachusetts title. His teams have been ranked in the top 20 nationally for the past many years, including the 1990 squad that was rated No. 1 in the country by USA Today. His 1995 state championship team was ranked third nationally by USA Today. 

At the time of his induction into the WSC Hall of Fame, the Longmeadow native and Springfield Cathedral High School graduate had guided Winchester to 17 Middlesex League championships and an astounding 332-22-19 record. His teams had lost only seven league games in his first 18 years as head coach. 

Scanlon’s personal accolades have been numerous. He was named the National Coach of the Year in 1986 by the National Soccer Coaches of America Association. In 1994 the association named him the New England Coach of the Year. Four times he has been honored by the Boston Globe as the Coach of the Year, and in 1989 he was inducted into the state soccer coaches Hall of Fame. 

Scanlon is coaching director of the Winchester Soccer Club and is a coaching staff member for the Region 1 Olympic development program 16-and-under team. He is also a staff coach for the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association and a United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ license coach. Furthermore, he is the recipient of an advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches of America. 

While playing at Westfield State College, Scanlon was a member of two New England state championship teams and two state conference champions. He was a two-year captain, an all conference selection in 1969, and received the team’s Letterman Award in 1971. 

Scanlon ranks third in career scoring at Westfield with a total of 146 points. He ranks second in career assists with 44 and fourth in career goals with 51. 

Scanlon and his wife, Kate, reside in Winchester with their three children: Kelly, Patrick and Christopher. He is a teacher in the Lexington Public Schools.