Tiaerra McLaurin returns for her second season on the Lindenwood University track and field coaching staff and will primarily lead the short sprint and relay groups after leading the combined event group and pole vault groups in the spring of 2023. She also leads the program’s roster construction efforts by serving as recruiting coordinator for track and field and cross country.

During the 2023 season, McLaurin mentored several top Lion finishers at the OVC Track & Field Championships, including junior Jake Casey who earned a silver medal in the Decathlon with 6,344 points and freshman decathlete Sam Coupland, who scored 5856 points en route to a sixth place finish. Sophomore heptathlete Kinsey Dueker earned a sixth-place finish with 4236 points. Under McLaurin’s guidance, pole vaulter Aiden Ciuffa earned a fourth-place finish with a clearance of 4.05 meters.

McLaurin brings a wealth of knowledge to the program having achieved several accomplishments in the NCAA Division III, High School and AAU levels. In 2021, she began her collegiate coaching career at Guilford College, a Division III institution in Greensboro, NC. McLaurin coached short sprints, jumps, and relays. During her stint with Guilford College, she mentored several athletes who improved their personal best marks while earning respectable conference rankings as a team. Most notably, senior Abdur-Rahim clocked a collegiate personal best 50.91 in the 400-meter (having a previous best of 54.99) at the 2022 ODAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Before McLaurin began her collegiate coaching career, she volunteered for her former youth track and field club, Young Achievers Sprint Club, from 2015-2018.  McLaurin embraced developing youth track and field athletes ages 5-17.  She volunteered for Quiet Storm Association from 2018-2021 under the tutelage of her former teammate's youth track and field club association. During that span, she coached more than 30 AAU and USATF Junior Olympic All-Americans in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter events. Through her student-centered mantra, “Trust the Process as track and field is a journey of discipline and consistency,” she was able to successfully facilitate athletic and academic scholarship opportunities for numerous student-athletes.

McLaurin is a 2010 graduate from Louisiana State University and was a member of the LSU track and field program, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Physical Therapy. In addition to her coaching accomplishments, McLaurin is also certified within multiple areas of the sport. She holds a USATF Level I Certification and USATF Officiating Certification.