The Chicago Bears made another significant step towards diversity and inclusivity within their organization by hiring their first female assistant coach. Jennifer King, a former assistant with the Washington Commanders, has been appointed as the assistant running backs coach for the Bears. This is not the first time King has broken barriers in the NFL, as she became the first black woman to hold a full-time coaching position in the league.
King’s coaching journey began with the Carolina Panthers in 2018, where she served as a wide receivers intern coach. She continued to make strides in her career, transitioning to an intern running backs assistant in 2019. In 2020, she joined the Washington Commanders as an intern coach before securing a full-time position as an assistant running backs coach.
Prior to her NFL coaching experience, King worked as an assistant wide receivers and special teams coach for the Arizona Hotshots in the Alliance of American Football league in 2018. Her dedication and expertise have paved the way for her groundbreaking role as the first full-time female assistant coach in the NFL, contributing to the ongoing progress of diversity and representation in professional football.
Jennifer King’s athletic background includes playing basketball and softball during her time at Guilford College. However, her football experience stems from her participation in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Carolina Phoenix from 2006 to 2017. She later played for the New York Sharks in 2018 and assumed the role of safety for the Washington DC Divas in 2019. The Women’s Football Alliance is a semi-professional tackle football league for women that was established in 2009 and continues to operate to this day.
In addition to King’s trailblazing role as a coach, the Chicago Bears made another historic move in 2021 by hiring Ashton Washington as their first full-time female scout. Washington has remained a valuable member of the team’s staff, contributing to their scouting operations. These groundbreaking hires reflect the Bears’ commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity within their organization, creating opportunities for women to excel in traditionally male-dominated roles in football.
