Colin McQuillan enters his fourth season at MoWest as the special teams coordinator, while also working with the outside linebackers. He also oversees the Griffon Football social media presence and team camp coordinator.
In 2025, his third season back with the Griffons, McQuillan coached a special teams unit that ranked No. 1 in the MIAA and No. 10 in NCAA Division II in punt return yards per game (13.83). Crew Myers, who earned honorable mention all-MIAA status as a punt returner, led the MIAA with 15 yards per punt return.
Elsewhere, Griffon specialists blocked five kicks in 2025 - second most in the MIAA. Place kicker Mason Grove ranked No. 2 in the MIAA and No. 14 in NCAA Division II with 34 touchbacks. The Griffons also ranked second in the MIAA in 2025 in kick return defense, allowing opponents just 18.3 yards per return.
MoWest's special team units have often excelled at both the MIAA and NCAA Division II level under McQuillan's tutelage. In 2023, MWSU led the MIAA in blocked kicks (8), blocked punts (5), blocked punts allowed (0) and punt return yards (14.56 per return).
MoWest special teams ranked No. 6 (blocked kicks), No. 3 (blocked punts), and No. 13 (punt return) in NCAA Division II in 2023 as well. In 2024, MWSU led the MIAA in kickoff returns, averaging 24.06 per return, which was No. 24 in NCAA Division II.
McQuillan has now coached multiple specialists to All-MIAA honors. Following the 2024 season, kicker Cody Watson was honored as a Unanimous Selection First Team all-MIAA kicker, while punter Spencer Sprenger was a third team honoree and returner Javerious McGuinn was an Honorable Mention selection.
Watson also earned Second Team All-Super Region 3 and Honorable Mention Don Hansen All-American in 2024, and he was the first MWSU player since 2019 to be selected as a first Team Academic All-American. Watson was also the first kicker to be named a first team All-American since NFL kicker Greg Zuerlein in 2011.
In 2023, McQuillan helped Watson earn first team all-MIAA honors, while punter Evan Williams was a third team all-MIAA honoree and returner Jalen Lampley was an Honorable Mention all-MIAA selection.
McQuillan also mentored success in the classroom, as players under his supervision have earned six CSC Academic All- District honors, as well as Second Team and First Team All-American CSC Academic honors.
Prior to returning to Missouri Western, McQuillan spent all of 2022 and the spring of 2023 at NAIA, Graceland University in Lamoni, IA. There, he was the special teams and run game coordinator while working with the defensive line.
In McQuillan’s lone season at Graceland, he helped guide a defense that improved from one of the worst in the nation to being ranked in multiple categories. He had two defensive linemen earn All-Heart honors, Second-Team and Honorable Mention respectively. The Graceland defense was No. 1 in the Heart Conference in both Touchdowns Scored and Interceptions. Upfront the Graceland defense improved from allowing 271 yards rushing a game in 2021 to only 145 yards rushing a game in 2022.
As the Graceland special teams coordinator, McQuillan’s Relentless Squads improved dramatically from the 2021 season. The top group being the kickoff return team that was ranked No. 7 in the Nation in kickoff return yards, as well as No. 2 in the Heart Conference with 992 return yards. McQuillan’s punt block group managed to block 5 opponents punts, a stat that is not tracked nationally in the NAIA. McQuillan’s special teams also garnered a Second-Team All-Conference Returner.
During the 2018 to 2021 seasons, McQuillan coached at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he was the defensive coordinator for four seasons. In his four seasons at SWOSU, McQuillan guided a defense which had two individuals selected to play in postseason All-Star games, First-Team Academic All-American, All-Conference DB (Led Great American Conference in INT/PBU), Pre-Season D2 All-American DB, two Academic All-District, and 12 Academic All-GAC.
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Prior to SWOSU, McQuillan coached for six seasons at Missouri Western State University, over two different stints. Most recent, he served as the Griffons’ running backs coach in 2017, to lead the second-best rushing attack in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Three Griffons under McQuillan earned Honorable Mention All-MIAA honors, Shamar Griffith and Jonathan Owens at returner and Ian McIntosh at fullback. In addition to his coaching duties, he served as the Recruiting Coordinator and Social Media Coordinator for Missouri Western Football.
From 2015-16, McQuillan served as a graduate assistant at Missouri Western, coaching the linebackers and defensive backs. He had two linebackers earn All-MIAA honorable mention during the 2016 season and all four starters in the Griffon secondary garnered All-MIAA honors in 2015, led by All-American cornerback Mike Jordan, who was a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams. Two other players McQuillan coached received pro-opportunities with cornerback Sam Brown signing as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens and Elroy Douglas getting drafted by Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League. Elroy Douglas most recently was on roster with the Ottawa Redblacks.
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McQuillan started his college coaching career as an assistant at Missouri Western from 2010-12 before coaching in the high school ranks for three seasons. He spent two years at Riverside High School in Wathena, Kansas, as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach before moving to KC Wyandotte High School as the head strength and conditioning coach and offensive coordinator for the 2014-15 school year. During his undergraduate years, McQuillan was the assistant football and basketball coach at Union Star High School from 2008-10.
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A native of Wathena, Kansas, McQuillan earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Missouri Western in 2011 before completing a Master’s Degree in Sports and Fitness Management from MWSU in 2016. He and his wife, Kayla, reside in St. Joseph with their daughter, Myer Donn, and two dogs, Indiana and Lexi.
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The McQuillan File
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Coaching Career
2023 – Present: Missouri Western (Special Teams Coordinator & OLB)
2022: Graceland (Special Teams & Defensive Run Game Coordinator/DL)
2018 – 2021: SWOSU (Defensive Coordinator)
2017: Missouri Western (Running Backs)
2015 – 16: Missouri Western (Graduate Assistant – LB/DB)
2014:Â KC Wyandotte HS (Offensive Coordinator / Head Strength & Conditioning)
2012 – 13: Riverside (KS) HS (Head Baseball Coach / Assistant Football Coach)
2010 – 12: Missouri Western (LB)
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Playing Career:
2007 – 08: Cornell College
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Education:
Missouri Western State University
   Bachelor’s, Physical Education, 2011
   Master’s, Sports and Fitness Management, 2016
