Arizona Cardinals adding woman to coaching staff in what is believed to be an NFL first

In his two years as Cardinals coach, Bruce Arians has assembled an eclectic mix of young and old assistants, ranging in age from their 20s to their late 70s.

This year, that staff will be even more diverse, including a woman and the creation of the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship.

Jen Welter will work with the team’s inside linebackers throughout training camp and the preseason. It’s believed she is the first female to hold a coaching position of any kind in the NFL.

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In addition, former Steelers linebacker Levon Kirkland becomes the inaugural participant in the fellowship named after the Cardinals owner.

Welter will be among seven coaching interns working with the team this summer. Her tenure in 2015 will be short, but meaningful.

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Arians provided a hint last spring that such a move was possible, though he had no specific plans then.

Last spring, Arians was asked about Sarah Thomas becoming the NFL’s first female official. Arians mentioned that it would be reasonable to think a woman could also coach in the NFL.

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The coach of the Indoor Football League’s Texas Revolution, Devin Wyman, heard of those comments, then called and recommended Welter, one of his assistants.

Welter visited the Cardinals during an organized team activity practice this summer.

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“I wanted to open that door,” Arians said. “Coaching is nothing more than teaching. The one thing I’ve learned from players: all they want to know is ‘How 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.’

“I really believe she’ll have a great opportunity through this internship to open some doors.”

Arians said he talked to several veteran Cardinals players and “they were all cool” with the hiring of Welter. “It’s not going to be a distraction in any way.”

The Cardinals will have a news conference Tuesday to introduce Kirkland and Welter.

In February 2014, Welter played running back and special teams for the Revolution, becoming the first female to play a non-kicking position in a men’s professional football league, according to the Cardinals.

This year, she became the first female to coach in a men’s pro football league when hired by the Revolution to work with linebackers and special teams.

She worked under Revolution general manager Tim Brown, the former NFL receiver who is entering the hall of fame this summer.

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Welter, 37, holds a master’s degree in sports psychology and a PhD in Psychology. She played rugby at Boston College.

She has more than 14 years of professional football experience, mostly with the Dallas Diamonds of the Women’s Football Alliance.

The fellowship was Arians’ idea, as was naming it after Bidwill.

“He’s been a pioneer in a lot of ways around the league,” Arians said of Bidwill.

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Team President Michael Bidwill quickly approved of the idea.

Through that fellowship, recently retired NFL players will gain coaching experience. An outside linebacker for 11 NFL seasons, Kirkland will work with that position for the next two seasons.

Bill Bidwill was at the forefront of integrating NFL front offices.

In 1978, Adele Harris became the first Black female executive in the NFL when she was hired as the Cardinals director of community relations. In 1981, Bidwill hired attorney Bob Wallace, making him the first Black to handle contract negotiations for an NFL club. Arizona was also the first NFL team with a Black general manager-head coach tandem (Rod Graves/Dennis Green, 2004).

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