At a time when the NFL is facing more questions than ever about a lack of diversity in the coaching ranks, Washington Redskins head coach Ron Rivera is doing his part to bring more diversity to the game.
According to The Athletic’s Rhiannon Walker, Rivera is hiring Jennifer King to join his coaching staff for the 2020 season. King, who coached in the AAF in 2019, will become the first full-time African American female coach in the NFL.
King served as head coach for Johnson & Wales University and helped lead her team to the United States women’s Collegiate Athletic Association championship in 2018. She also worked as a coaching intern in training camp on Ron Rivera’s staff with the Carolina Panthers.
When the AAF folded, King returned to join Rivera’s coaching staff during training and worked closely with the team’s running backs.
While her exact role on Rivera’s staff isn’t known, it’s a nice step forward for the team and it’s good to see Rivera bringing more great coaches onto his staff.