Vaughn Courtney graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1981 with a Masters in Physical Education and a teaching emphasis in Biology. Vaughn was born in Columbia, South Carolina and spent 10 years of his childhood in Japan. After moving to El Paso, Texas for his senior year of high school he continued on at UTEP. He received an athletic scholarship to run track for UTEP. After graduating he was the Head Women's Track and Field coach at Utah State University for twelve years before deciding to return to El Paso to teach in middle school. He has been at Wiggs Middle School for the past thirteen years.