Jennifer King Set To Make History As The First Black Woman To Become A Full-Time Assistant Coach In The NFL

Touchdown!

Jennifer King is set to make history as the first Black woman to become a full-time assistant coach with the National Football League (NFL).

According to The Washington Post, King is a former college basketball coach who made a name for herself with Coach Ron Rivera as an intern on his Carolina staff. King worked with the receivers and running backs and became a valuable member of Rivera’s team. In February, she joined The Washington Football Team’s staff as a full-time intern, becoming the first woman in the franchise history to be hired as a coach. Her work was hailed by Coach Rivera and running backs coach Randy Jordan. Now, The Washington Football Team is working to close a historic deal, making King a full-time assistant coach and the first Black woman to hold that title in the league’s 100+ year history. 

“First of all, she knows the game. It’s really helped me in terms of seeing the game in a different view…When we first started, I leaned on her a lot in terms of the terminology and the different things. Then, the way she’s worked with the guys, she’s just Coach King to us. Her input throughout the game, there are things I may not see, and she’ll point it out to me…Her input is very, very important not only to me, but to the entire staff. She’s been doing a heck of a job,” Jordan said. 

King will become just one of four women coaches in the league alongside Tampa Bay Bucs defensive line coach Lori Locus, assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar, and Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson. 

Congratulations, Coach King!

Photo Courtesy of @JenniferKing5/Twitter