Washington Redskins Hire Jennifer King as First Black Woman Assistant Coach In NFL History

Let’s give it up for history being made! The Washington Redskins hired Jennifer King as a full-year coaching intern, according to the team’s website.

King, who has previously coached in the National Football League, the Alliance of American Football, and in the college ranks, will work with the offensive staff during the course of the off-season, training camp, and regular season. She will work directly with Randy Jordan with the running backs.

The Washington Redskins announced that they have named Jennifer King as a full-year coaching intern.

— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) February 10, 2020

“Jennifer is a bright young coach and will be a great addition to our staff,” said Head Coach Ron Rivera in a statement on the Washington Redskins website. “Her familiarity with my expectations as a coach and my firsthand knowledge of her work ethic and preparation were big factors in bringing her to the Redskins.”

King was a participant in NFL coaching clinics from 2015-18 and also took part in the NFL Women’s Career in Football Forum two years ago in January of 2018. The forum was a specialized two-day event that connected several qualified female candidates for positions in football as coaches, officials, scouts, and athletic trainers.

King holds a master’s of science in sports administration from Liberty University and holds a bachelor of science in sports management from Guilford College. She was a member of the Guilford College women’s basketball and softball team’s from 2002-06.

King has experience as a football player as well. She was an All-American quarterback and wide receiver seven times for the Carolina Phoenix women’s tackle football team from 2006-17. In 2018 she played as a wide receiver and defensive back for the New York Sharks women’s tackle football team and captured the 2018 WFA National Championship. King played wide receiver and safety in the District for the D.C. Divas women’s tackle football team in 2019.

Her expertise goes beyond the football field as she was the head coach of Johnson & Wales University Charlotte’s basketball team from 2016-18. During her time there, the team had a 37-10 record and they won the USCAA Division II National Championship in 2018. She was named the USCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2018. Before that, she was an assistant coach on the Greensboro College women’s basketball staff from 2006-16. During King’s 10 years with the team, they went 136-54, won five conference titles and appeared in the NCAA tournament five times.