Arizona Cardinals Hire Female Assistant Coaching Intern, First In NFL History

In April, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to be named a full-time NFL official.

Three months later, the league has its first female coach as well.

The Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an assistant coaching intern Monday (July 27) to work with the team's inside linebackers during training camp and preseason. Welter is believed to be the first female coach of any kind in NFL history.

For Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, the hire didn't have anything to do with gender. Only experience.

"Coaching is nothing more than teaching. One thing I have learned from players is 'How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet, I'll listen,' " Arians told the Cardinals' official website about the landmark hire. "I really believe she'll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her."

Welter, 37, brings a wealth of experience to the role, having played more than 14 years as a linebacker in the Women's Football Alliance, leading the Dallas Diamonds to four championship titles.

In February 2014, she became the first female to play a nonkicking position in a professional men's football league, playing running back and special teams for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League. This past February, she also became the first female coach—coaching linebackers and special teams—for the Revolution as well.

Although Welter will be officially introduced by the Cardinals on Tuesday (July 28), she did tweet in excitement about the opportunity, which she could possibly make permanent with a good showing during training camp and preseason.

And she already seems to have the support of the players, as Cardinals' star Patrick Peterson showed.

This announcement comes a week after Becky Hammon led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Summer League title, having already made history by becoming the league's first full-time assistant coach last season.

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