Current:Home > Contact-usJennifer King becomes Bears' first woman assistant coach. So, how about head coach spot?-LoTradeCoin
Jennifer King becomes Bears' first woman assistant coach. So, how about head coach spot?
View Date:2024-12-24 00:06:09
In February for Black History Month, USA TODAY Sports is publishing the series "29 Black Stories in 29 Days." We examine the issues, challenges and opportunities Black athletes and sports officials continue to face after the nation’s reckoning on race following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This is the fourth installment of the series.
In 2021, the Washington Commanders hired Jennifer King as an assistant coach, making her the first Black woman in NFL history ever to be a full-time assistant coach. She's about to make history again.
King has been hired by the Chicago Bears as an assistant working with the running backs. The Bears say she's the first woman assistant coach in the 104-year history of the team. The team hired its first full-time woman scout in 2021.
"Jennifer King is an exceptional leader and passionate coach who will be a positive addition to the Chicago Bears," President & CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement on the team's website. "As the first full-time Black female coach in the history of the National Football League, Jennifer has established herself as a hard worker, pioneer, and trailblazer."
Two steps forward, one step back: NFL will have zero non-white offensive coordinators
"Chicago is a great city, and the Bears organization is historic," King said. "I started paying attention to the Bears playing video games like Tecmo Bowl back in the day because Walter Payton was unstoppable in the game. I used to always play with them on there. Then obviously working for coach (Ron) Rivera, he's been so important in my life and him being a part of those historic defenses with the Bears as well. It's definitely an exciting time. Hopefully we can hit the ground running and get ready for 2024.
"To be a first in such a historic organization is a special moment. To be a part of that culture that's in the building is exciting. I think we're going to do some really cool things and I'm definitely excited for the upcoming season."
Why is this important? The story of race in the NFL is a huge topic but so is the story of gender. There's no reason why a woman can't be an assistant or head coach in the NFL. If you say wOmiN doNt plAE in tHE nFL well neither did Bill Belichick. Or Bill Walsh. I could go on.
Being a coach is more about brain power, schemes and motivation. Andy Reid played football at a community college; not in the NFL. What makes Reid special isn't that he screams at players or throws chairs in locker rooms. It's how he puts his players in the best position to win with his study and smarts.
It's the same with front office positions.
But if you do want to talk about playing background, she has it. King played quarterback, receiver and defensive back in the Women's Football Alliance.
One day soon we're going to see a woman head coach in the NFL. It might be sooner than we think. Maybe within a decade. NFL owners can be backwards when it comes to race and gender but it won't stay that way with all of them. Some owner will take a chance and we'll look back at people like King as someone who paved the way.
veryGood! (94274)
Related
- Tua Tagovailoa playing with confidence as Miami Dolphins hope MNF win can spark run
- Oregon’s top court hears arguments in suit filed by GOP senators seeking reelection after boycott
- Argentina announces a 50% devaluation of its currency as part of shock economic measures
- How to watch 'Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God,' the docuseries everyone is talking about
- Denver district attorney is investigating the leak of voting passwords in Colorado
- Nature Got a More Prominent Place at the Table at COP28
- Oprah Winfrey's revelation about using weight-loss drugs is a game-changer. Here's why.
- What women want (to invest in)
- Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
- Bull on the loose on New Jersey train tracks causes delays between Newark and Manhattan
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Markets react to Election 2024
- Mexico’s search for people falsely listed as missing finds some alive, rampant poor record-keeping
- How the US keeps funding Ukraine’s military — even as it says it’s out of money
- Michigan court rejects challenges to Trump’s spot on 2024 primary ballot
- Sister Wives’ Madison Brush Details Why She Went “No Contact” With Dad Kody Brown
- 62% of Americans say this zero-interest payment plan should be against the law
- How to watch 'Fargo' Season 5: Cast, episode schedule, streaming info
- A new judge is appointed in the case of a Memphis judge indicted on coercion, harassment charges
Recommendation
-
'Yellowstone' premiere: Record ratings, Rip's ride and Billy Klapper's tribute
-
Behind the sumptuous, monstrous craft of ‘Poor Things’
-
2-year-old Virginia girl dies after accidentally shooting herself at Hampton home: Police
-
Brazil’s Congress overrides president’s veto to reinstate legislation threatening Indigenous rights
-
Surprise bids revive hope for offshore wind in Gulf of Mexico after feds cancel lease sale
-
See Gigi Hadid, Zoë Kravitz and More Stars at Taylor Swift's Birthday Party
-
Oregon’s top court hears arguments in suit filed by GOP senators seeking reelection after boycott
-
Stock market today: Asian markets churn upward after the Dow ticks to another record high