Tom McConnaughey is in his fourth season with the Jaguars as a national scout and 27th overall in the NFL, joining the Jaguars in June of 2021. McConnaughey has spent over 42 years working in football including as a pro player, college and high school coach, as well as an NFL scout.
He spent the previous 25 seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers after being hired by General Manager Bobby Beathard. McConnaughey worked as an NFS combine scout from 1997-1999, area scout from 2000-2007 and as the team's national scout from 2008-2021. During his time with the Chargers, McConnaughey worked was directly involved in scouting and acquiring a total of 43 starters, including several hall of fame and All Pro players, helping win five AFC West Division titles
Prior to his scouting career, McConnaughey was a high school and college football coach for 14 years. He was the head coach at Federal Way High School in Seattle for 9 years, an assistant coach at South Kitsap High School for 2 years and spent 3 years coaching wide receivers at Spokane Community College and University of Central Arkansas.
His playing career spanned five years beginning in 1981 signing as an undrafted free agent with the New Orleans Saints and then with the New York Jets in 1982. McConnaughey signed as an original member of the New Jersey Generals of the new USFL, where he started at wide receiver in 1983 and 1984 and led the team's wide receivers in catches and per catch average. He then signed back into the NFL for the 1984 preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles, finishing his playing days with the Minnesota Vikings and retiring following an injury in 1985. He was an all-conference wide receiver at Central Arkansas and Spokane Falls Community College from 1975-1979, redshirting a season at Oregon in 1977. He is a member of both the Spokane CC and Northwest Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
McConnaughey resides in the Seattle area with his wife of 35 years, Sheri, who is the Recreation Coordinator for Senior Adult Programs for the City of Tukwila. The couple has two children, a son, Donny, is a head baseball coach, assistant football coach and paraeducator at Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Wash. and a daughter, Monica, who is Manager of Strategic Partnerships for the Nashville Sports Council and the TransPerfect Music City Bowl in Nashville.
