Six women set to make history as coaches in NFL playoffs

| American Football | 01/08/2021

By Grant Gordon, NFL.com Digital Content Editor

Progress will be front and center on NFL sidelines when the playoffs commence.

As female coaches continue to open doors and make an impact within the NFL, history will be at hand as the postseason is set to kick off.

Six of the eight female coaches currently within league will be on the sidelines for playoff teams and for the first time in NFL chronicle, opposing playoff teams will have women’s coaches on their sidelines when the Washington Football Team hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday evening.

When Washington and Tampa Bay lock up on Saturday at 8:15 p.m., head coach Ron Rivera will have full-year coaching intern Jennifer King on the sideline, while the Buccaneers — the only team with two female coaches — have assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar.

“I really think it’s a direct testament to forward-thinking coaches opening up their minds to the entire pool of applicants for jobs, and I think these forward-thinking coaches have created cultures with sustained winning and ultimately they’ve made the playoffs now,” King said during a Thursday appearance on NFL Total Access. “So I think it’s no coincidence that these coaches have created such a great culture and have won games and divisions and they’re in the playoffs.”

The matchup between Washington’s offensive line and the Bucs’ pass rush should be a pivotal one Saturday and one that drawn King’s attention this week.

“She has a really tough group. I’ve been looking at them on film, and they’re very good. We’ll definitely have our work cut out for us on Saturday,” King of her matchup against Locust’ position group. “It will be exciting to compete against her for the first time directly. We’ve been speaking throughout the week on some things and it will exciting to see her. Her and M.J. They’re good friends.”

Though she’s in her first full year with Washington, King is not new to making history, as she became the first Black woman to coach in the NFL and in Week 3 was part of the first league game to feature female coaches on opposing sidelines and a female official.

Joining King and official Sarah Thomas in that history-making game was Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson. Brownson’s Browns will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET.

Chelsea Romero has helped the Los Angeles Rams return to the playoffs, where they’ll face the host Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at 4:40 p.m. ET. Romero is the team’s first strength and conditioning coach.

Cristi Bartlett is the seasonal assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tennessee Titans, who host the Baltimore Ravens at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Also part of the playoff pushes for the Ravens and Chicago Bears have been Megan McLaughlin and Robyn Wilkey, respectively.

McLaughlin is the director of football operations for the Ravens. Wilkey is the executive assistant to head coach Matt Nagy for the Bears, who face the host New Orleans Saints at 4:40 p.m. ET Saturday.

Last season, 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers made history when she became the first woman and openly gay coach to coach in the Super Bowl. With a historic start to the first-ever Super Wild Card Weekend upcoming, Sowers might well have some company when the Super Bowl comes to Tampa in February.

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major