In the NFL's action-packed world, some pretty cool things are happening behind the scenes. Women are proving that the game isn’t just a boys' club anymore and are making their mark as coaches. Many women are breaking down barriers and proving they have exactly what it takes to lead in male-dominated sports. The NFL is getting a makeover and these women are leading the way, inspiring the next generation of girls to dream big. Starting with the trailblazers who first took the sidelines to the more recent women who are changing the football world.
During training camp and preseason in 2015, Jennifer Welter was a defensive coaching intern for the Arizona Cardinals. This makes her the first woman to hold a coaching internship in the NFL. Before her time with the Cardinals Welter was already making waves in professional men's football. The Texas Revolution of Champions Indoor Football made her their linebackers and special teams coach on February 12, 2015. This made her the first woman to coach in a professional men’s football league. Before that, in the year prior, Welter was playing for the Revolution as a running back, making her the first woman to play a non-kicking position in men’s professional football and the first at running back. Before her, there was: Patricia Palinkas (Placekicker Holder, Orlando Panthers) first woman to play for a men’s professional football league, Abby Vestal (Kicker, Kansas Koyotes) first woman to score points in a men's professional football league, Katie Hnida (Placekicker, Fort Wayne Firehawks), and Julie Harshbarger (Kicker, Chicago Cardinals) first woman to score a field goal in a men’s professional league.
Another notable woman who made moves for women in football in terms of playing was Morgan Smith she was the first woman to play for the Empire Football League. After her time with the Cardinals, Welter worked for the Atlanta Legends and the Vegas Vipers.
Next up we have Katie Sowers. She was the first female and openly gay coach in Super Bowl history. Her first position in the NFL was as a training camp assistant for the Atlanta Falcons in 2016. Then from 2017-2018, she was a seasonal offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers. Then, from 2019-2020 she was the offensive assistant coach for the 49ers. In 2021 she became the offensive assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs. You can find Sowers now working in the athletic department of Ottawa University.
Kathryn Smith was the first full-time female coach in the NFL and before the 49ers hired Katie Sowers, she was the only woman to have ever held a full-time coaching position with the NFL. Smith started as an intern for the New York Jets as a Game-day/special events intern from 2003-2004. From 2005-2006 she was a college scouting intern. Then in 2007, she became a player personnel assistant until 2013. In 2014 she was an administrative assistant. All of this was with the Jets and in 2015 she would join the Buffalo Bills as an administrative assistant. Then on January 20, 2016, the Bills promoted her to special teams quality control coach. Though after Rex Ryan was dismissed, Smith was not kept by Sean McDermott the new coach.
Here, we have Jennifer King. She is currently an assistant offensive/running back coach for the Chicago Bears. Her career started long before with the Carolina Panthers where she worked as a wide receivers coach intern in 2018. From 2018-2019 she was an assistant wide receivers and special teams coach for the Arizona Hotshots. In 2019 she was a running backs coach intern for the Carolina Panthers and worked as an offensive assistant for Dartmouth. Then in 2020, she worked as a coaching intern for the Washington Comanders. Before joining the Bears from 2021-2023 she was an assistant running back coach for the Commanders. With her impressive career history, she is best known for being the first black woman to be a full-time NFL coach.
Up next we have Lori Locust. During training camp in 2018, she was a defensive line coaching intern for the Baltimore Ravens. During the 2019 season, she was the assistant defensive line coach for The Birmingham Iron. Then in March of 2019, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired her as their assistant defensive line coach. She was the first female position coach in the NFL. Locust and Maral Javadifar (assistant strength and conditioning coach) became the first female coaches to win a Super Bowl when the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021. Then Locust was hired as a defensive assistant for the Tennessee Titans on February 5, 2023, making her the first full-time female coach in the franchise's history.
As of 2023 Maral Javadifar has been with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 5 seasons. After the 2021 season, Javadifar was promoted to the Buccaneers' director of rehabilitation/performance coach. This means she helps with the rehabilitation of injured players and works to better athlete performance. Before she joined Lori Locust as the first female coaches to win a Super Bowl in Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021.
ElizaBeth Harrison started working with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014. She was an assistant to the head coach/administrator of coaching operations. She was in this position for four seasons. During her time with the Jaguars, she has had four other roles. She is currently the personal coaching assistant to the head coach Doug Pederson and has been so since 2021.
Callie Brownson is currently the assistant wide receivers coach for the Cleveland Browns and has been since 2023. She started her career in the NFL in 2017 as a scouting intern for the New York Jets then, in 2019, she became a coaching intern for the Buffalo Bills before becoming chief of staff for the Cleveland Browns from 2020-2021. In 2022 she was the chief of staff and assistant wide receivers coach. In 2018, Brownson became the first woman hired as a full-time NCAA Division l coach when she went from an intern to coach at Dartmouth.
Riley Hecklinski was made the Coordinator of Coaching Logistics for the Cleveland Browns in January of 2023. From June 2020 to May 2023 she was a scouting assistant with the Cleveland Browns.
Kaelyn Buskey is going into her inaugural season as the assistant strength & conditioning coach for the Baltimore Ravens, after getting promoted from her previous position as a strength and conditioning intern with the team in 2022 and during the 2021 training camp. Before she was with the Ravens, Buskey worked as the Performance Director at Power Train Sports.
Megan Rosburg of the Baltimore Ravens is an assistant to the head coach John Harbaugh and helps in many areas, including football operations, scheduling, communications, and staff management. She also assists on defense and works with the defensive line and outside linebackers.
Angela Baker is starting her first year as an offensive assistant for the New York Giants. Last year she worked as the offensive quality control coach with the Giants. Baker was honored as the first recipient of the Giants' Rosie Brown Minority Coaching Fellowship. This marked a historic moment alongside Laura Young (team's director of coaching operations) as the first woman to hold coaching positions in Giants' history.
All of these amazing women are doing more than just being outstanding in their roles, they are also paving the way for young girls who are dreaming of working in sports someday. They are breaking through barriers and sending a powerful message to those young girls. Showing that their dreams are valid and there is a place for them too.
Their experiences and successes are victories for them but also for every girl who has been told she can’t do something because of her gender. They are proof that the sports industry isn’t just for men. Their legacy will be shown in all of the girls who follow in their footsteps, are inspired to pursue their passion for sports and know that they too can change the game. These women have impacted coaching by changing the culture of the sport and showing that talent and dedication are the primary criteria for success regardless of gender.
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