He served as the head football coach at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1942 to 1944, compiling a record of 16–8–3.
A native of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Scanlan moved to Philadelphia at the age of ten.
[3] While coaching Holy Cross, Scanlan continued to work as secretary and part owner of the Philadelphia Asbestos Company.
During the 1943 and 1944 seasons, the factory's war contracts made it so that Scanlan could only coach on gameday, leaving assistants Lud Wray and Ox DaGrosa in charge of during the week.
[6] Scanlan spent his later years as chairman of the American Asbestos Textile Corporation of Norristown, Pennsylvania.