Jen Welter Hired As NFL Coach, As Arizona Cardinals Make Gender History | HuffPost

This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

"How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don’t care if you’re the Green Hornet, man, I’ll listen."

Jesse Ferreras— The Huffington Post Canada

|

"How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet man, I'll listen."

That's one thing Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians says he's learned from players.

And it's a perfect way to sum up his hiring of Dr. Jen Welter as a linebacker coach for the team's training camp.

It's believed that she is the first female ever to coach in the National Football League (NFL), said a team news release.

Arians hired Welter after she came to an off-season training session. He decided she could "handle this in a very positive way for women and open that door."

Welter, who has a Ph.D in psychology and a master's in sport psychology, was previously the first woman to play a non-kicking position in men's football, after stints as a running back and special teams member with the Indoor Football League's Texas Revolution.

She also has two gold medals from competing with Team USA in the International Federation of American Football Women's World Championships in 2010 and 2013.

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss wrote that Arians' decision to hire a woman "shouldn't be a surprise" after he indicated he would be open to it at an NFL owners' meeting in March.

Asked when a female would join an NFL team's staff, he said, "The minute they can make a player better, they'll be hired."

Welter's hiring is drawing positive attention from high places.

But the Cardinals' decision is just the latest example of women breaking into men's pro sports.

In 1992, the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning signed goaltender Manon Rheaume as a free agent. She played one period of an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues, and another period against the Boston Bruins in 1993.

More recently, Becky Hammon was hired as an assistant coach for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. She also coached the team to an NBA Summer League championship.

Welter's hiring isn't even the most recent example of the NFL breaking the gender barrier. Earlier this year, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to serve as a full-time league official.

As for Welter, Arians told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that, "I think it's time. She has earned this."

Like Us On Facebook

Follow Us On Twitter

Also on HuffPost

8 Winter Olympic Sports Women Were Barred From

Cross-Country Skiing: 1952(01 of08)

First men's competition: 1924
Cross-country was the last of the ski disciplines to go co-ed, but ladies still got an early start compared to other sports. Look how "pretty and eligible" the women's ski team was in 1960. (credit:LIFE magazine, February 8, 1960)

Speed Skating: 1960(02 of08)

First men's competition: 1924
Women competed in international competitions for over 30 years before ladies' speed skating officially debuted in the 1960 Olympic games. (credit: ROBERT MICHAEL/AFP/Getty Images)

Biathlon: 1992(03 of08)

First men's competition: 1924
With origins in Norwegian military training, the biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Because, of course. Biathletes carry their rifles for the duration of the race. This year, men and women will compete in a mixed relay together for the first time. (credit:Associated Press)

Curling: 1998(04 of08)

Men's competition: 1924
Curling really had to hustle before it was fully incorporated into the Olympic games. It was included only as a "demonstration sport" in many games between 1924 and 1998 before finally earning official status, when a women's event was also added. (credit:Associated Press)

Ice Hockey: 1998(05 of08)

First men's competition: 1924
Perhaps people thought women's hockey was less fun to watch, given women's terribly boring habit of using their words to work out disagreements. (credit:Atsushi Tomura via Getty Images)

Bobsleigh: 2002(06 of08)

First men's competition: 1924
While the cruel injustice of "Cool Runnings" seemed to be the dismissal of a Jamaican bobsled team, we bet you didn't know that at those 1988 games, women did not have a bobsleigh event.Women, we (now) have a bobsled team. This year, Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones will compete in bobsledding. (credit:AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Ski Jumping: 2014(07 of08)

Ski jumping will be offered for women for the first time ever at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Winners scores are given based on distance, style, inrun length and wind conditions. Luckily, women are famously good multi-taskers (credit:Adam Pretty via Getty Images)

Nordic Combined: Still Waiting...(08 of08)

First men's competition: 1924
The Nordic Combined includes cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Women compete in Olympic cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Here are all the women allowed to compete in the Nordic Combined in 2014. (credit:Cultura/Manuel Sulzer via Getty Images)

Related

arizona cardinals female coach arizona cardinals jen welter arizona cardinals woman coach Jen Welter jen welter arizona cardinals

Suggest a correction

-- This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.

From Our Partner