Cardinals Hire First Woman Coach In NFL!

The Arizona Cardinals showed no trepidation in making a landmark move. They’re not worried about “creating a distraction” or media noise. They are interested solely in getting better.

And so they’ve hired Jen Welter, 37, as a training camp/preseason intern to coach inside linebackers. She is believed to be first woman to coach in the NFL.

“Coaching is nothing more than teaching,” Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said.

Welter can coach and teach. And play. She holds a doctorate in psychology, a master’s degree in sports psychology and coached (and played a little) with the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League, breaking that Jen-der barrier. She also played for more than a decade in women’s football leagues.

Arians said he had discussed this move with the team’s veteran players and “they were all very cool with it.”

This bit of NFL groundbreaking follows the hiring in the NBA of Becky Hammon as a full-time assistant coach. The San Antonio Spurs put her in charge of their Summer League team in Las Vegas and won the title, losing only one game. The NFL previously had hired its first female field official, Sarah Thomas.

Arians said he expected this opportunity to open not only eyes but doors for Welter.

“I really believe she’ll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her,” Arians said.

The Cardinals have said they will introduce Welter at a news conference on Tuesday.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .