McConnaughey inducted into University of Central Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame

Longtime Federal Way resident Don McConnaughey was officially inducted into the University of Central Arkansas’ Sports Hall of Fame last month.

McConnaughey, who lived in Federal Way for 30 years before retiring in Ocean Shores, played football and ran track at Central Arkansas from 1949 to 1954.

McConnaughey earned eight letters in the two sports and won the AIC 100- and 220-yard dashes. He was a member of the AIC champion 440 and 880 relay teams and was All-AIC honorable mention in 1954.

He is also the father of former Federal Way High School football player,coach and current San Diego Chargers’ scout, Tom McConnaughey.

His college career at Central Arkansas was interrupted from 1950 to 1952 to fight in the Korean War, where he rose to the rank of Master Sergeant.

Following his playing days at Central Arkansas, the elder McConnaughey went on to a 36-year coaching and administrative career at Highline Community College, Highline High School, Amarillo (Tex.) High School and Norphlet (Ark.) High School.

At Highline CC, McConnaughey’s track and field teams won two NWAACC championships and were runners-up numerous times.

He also coached football as an assistant at Highline High School and was an assistant under former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips in Amarillo.

He will be honored at the 2008 home football game at University of Central Arkansas to be played on Sept. 20. McConnaughey is one of nine inductees in the UCA Sports Hall of Fame.

Five of the nine had the bulk of their achievements in the 1950s and 1960s, which was by design, said Ken Stephens, a Hall of Fame member who chaired the selection committee.

“The last couple of years, we’ve tried to look at some of the older guys before we put in some of the younger ones,” Stephens said. “By our rules now, we have to induct two of three seniors, which means their playing or coaching days are 50 years or more. We would like to get some of the older people in while they are still around. We want to get them in while people can remember them and what they accomplished.”

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