Football is no longer a final frontier women need to conquer.
In fact, there are record numbers of female coaches at NFL training camp this year, and this means we might be seeing a lot more female leadership on the field.
Like Jennifer King showed with Washington and Lori Locust in Tampa Bay, this year’s female leads will take the NFL by storm once again.
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Before getting into the nitty gritty of the season, let’s take a look at who is expected to be on the field this year, as well as who has dominated in the role so far:
How many female coaches will there be in the NFL for the 2022 season?
Based on what we know so far, assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar will be coming back to the Bucs for yet another season.
Callie Brownson, chief of staff of the Cleveland Browns as well as Jennifer King, assistant running backs coach of the Washington Commanders, will also be returning this season.
Denver Broncos’ player performance assistant Emily Zaler will not be returning as coach. She is now serving as the new Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for New York Liberty.
Katie Sowers, former offensive assistant of the Kansas City Chiefs will also not be returning, as she is now coaching flag football at Ottawa University in Kansas.
Once the 2022 NFL regular season begins, we will see the full list of female coaches, which will probably be more than ever before.
Why will we see more female coaches in the NFL’s future?
The NFL devised new diversity and inclusion rules for the upcoming season during its annual owners meeting.
As said in a statement from the league, one of the rules included this year requires each of the NFL’s 32 teams to employ a “female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority” as an offensive assistant.
How many female coaches were there during the 2021 NFL season?
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There were six female coaches during the 2021 NFL season. These included:
1. Jennifer King – assistant running backs coach, Washington Commanders
2. Lori Locust – assistant defensive line coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Sophia Lewin – offensive assistant coach, Buffalo Bills
4. Emily Zaler – player performance assistant, Denver Broncos
5. Maral Javadifar – assistant strength and conditioning coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6. Callie Brownson – chief of staff, Cleveland Browns
Has a female coach ever won the Super Bowl?
Lori Locust, the assistant defensive line coach, and Maral Javadifar, the assistant strength and conditioning coach, both of the Buccaneers, were the first female NFL coaches to clinch a Super Bowl win.
The two helped the Buccaneers to their 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LV.
Has the NFL ever seen a female coach on both sides of the field?
In September 2020, women made NFL history during a Washington Football Team and Cleveland Browns matchup.
This was the first game in NFL history that there was a female head coach on both sidelines, as well as an official. The Washington Football Team was led by King and the Browns were led by Brownson. Sarah Thomas was the referee.
Who was the first female coach of the NFL?
Back in 2015, Jen Welter, former women’s pro player and two-time Team USA Olympic medalist, earned her position as a coach for the Arizona Cardinals.
This decision made history as Welter became the first female coach in NFL history.
The Cardinals hired Welter as a training camp and preseason intern that year, where she coached inside linebackers. They later hired her as one of their head coaches.
In addition to Welter, another aspect of history we saw unfold right before our eyes involved the San Francisco 49ers. Katie Sowers, former offensive assistant, made history as the first openly gay female full-time NFL coach in 2021. She assisted the team to Super Bowl LIV and currently serves as a coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.