Dr. Jen Welter became the first female coach in NFL history when she coached with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2015 preseason. Now she’s taking on another challenge as the new head coach of Australia Outback Women’s National Team, Gridiron Australia announced Monday.
In this new role, Welter will take on the challenge of coaching Team Australia in the 2017 IFAF (International Federation of American Football) Women’s World Championship.
“I am honoured to uphold this promise by assuming the Head Coaching role of Team Australia with my original Offensive Coordinator, John Konecki and Defensive Coordinator, Anthony Stone,” Welter said about her new position. “These coaches had 2 profound impacts on my career and I know we will do the same for Team Australia. Additionally, I hope other teams will follow suit and continue to open doors and expand the roles of women in football and sport as a whole”
Welter has firsthand experience playing in the IFAF Women’s World Championship and helped Team USA win gold at the International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) Women’s World Championship in 2010 and 2013. She also played for the Texas Revolution, a team in the Indoor Football League, in 2014, before coaching with the Cardinals in 2015.