Washington Football Team Hires Jennifer King As Assistant Coach

ASHBURN, VA — The conversation that Jennifer King had with her new football boss wasn’t necessarily long, but the significance of its content surely wasn’t lost on the newest member of the Washington Football Team's coaching staff.

King was named a full-time assistant running backs coach Washington by head coach Ron Rivera on Tuesday, the team announced. King, who joined the team as an intern last year, was promoted to a full-time role and becomes the first African American female assistant coach in NFL history.

King, who won two national championships as a quarterback, wide receiver and safety with the Carolina Phoenix and New York Sharks, worked previously as an intern for Rivera for the Carolina Panthers. She will join the running backs coaching staff with Randy Jordan in her new role, the team said.

“It’s another step forward for women in football – it’s a good moment for me, but it’s a good moment for a lot of people who aspire to be in this position as well,” King said in a video released by the team on Tuesday.

King played 12 years of football during her career with Carolina, New York and the DC Divas and worked with several offensive position groups with the Panthers during her previous internship. Since the Panthers run the same offense as Rivera is using in Washington, King said in the video that the terminology did not require a huge learning curve, which will be helpful in her full-time role, she said.

In a statement, Jordan commended King for the way she has taken to the coaching role with Washington, where her first-hand experience as a player will be invaluable.

"I always just try to make sure we're conversing throughout the game and throughout practice in terms of how we can make this running back group the best group we can possibly make. She's been doing a heck of a job,” Jordan said in a story posted on the team’s website.

Rivera also realizes the significance of adding King to his staff at a time when the veteran coach said that women are playing more of a significant role in the game. The NFL recently announced that official Sarah Thomas will work the upcoming Super Bowl on Feb. 7, becoming the first woman to do so in league history.

Six female assistant coaches have already participated in this year’s NFL playoffs.

“I think it is about time that there is some gender equity in this sport," Rivera said earlier this year. "Women love this game. A lot of them want to play this game, and they play it. A lot of them want to coach it, and they are coaching it. All we are doing is just creating opportunities for people that deserve it."

King said her transition working with the coaching staff in Washington has been smooth thanks to the carryover from Rivera’s staff in Carolina. That has also assisted her in earning the respect of her colleagues. She said her constant presence in the running backs room has limited the shock value among players, which she said has also helped her focus on her job rather than worrying about how she is being accepted.

King said that her experience as a quarterback provides her with a different perspective than others may have. That viewpoint, she said, will be critical in helping Washington’s running backs improve as a group.

King said her experience working as an intern this past season has helped her grow as a coach and to help her understand a job that will now become a full-time role. Although King feels comfortable taking the next step, she looks forward serving as an inspiration to other girls and women who want to make a career working in football. King said she wants to become a lead position group with an NFL team – something that she realized wasn’t seen as being realistic only a short time ago.

Rivera said the sky is the limit for King, who now joins a growing group of women working at the NFL level.

“I think it’s really special to see,” King said in the video. “It’s a direct testament to (NFL coaches) being forward-thinking and opening up the entire pool when they’re looking for people to hire to make their programs better. I don’t think it’s an oddity that those playoff teams had so many female coaches involved because those coaches...created cultures of growth and inclusion, and those things generally create wins."