Woman coaches in professional sports
Images
timeline
title Milestone Timeline
2001: Lisa Boyer#58; First female assistant coach in NBA
2014: Becky Hammon#58; First full-time female assistant coach
2015: Jen Welter#58; First female assistant coach in NFL
2016: Dawn Braid#58; First full-time woman coach in NHL
2020: Alyssa Nakken#58; First female assistant coach in MLB
2022: Rachel Balkovec#58; First woman manager of a MLB minor-league team
: Jessica Campbell#58; First female AHL assistant coach
Posted: Nov 7, 2023
Most managers in professional sports tend to be men because the players are male. There are a lot of women coaches in women-based sports leagues like WNBA, but not so in the major ones. In recent years, women have started to make some leeway in certain coaching roles, but many lesser-known women blazed the path many years ago.
Many women in sports management have had to work twice as hard to prove themselves and gain respect from their colleagues. They have had to overcome gender stereotypes and prove they have the knowledge, skills, and passion for the job. This page shows some significant milestones achieved by women in major professional sports.
Notable NFL women coaches |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Role | Description | Date |
| Jen Welter | Training camp/preseason intern inside linebacker coach for Arizona Cardinals | First woman coach in NFL | 2015 |
| Kathryn Smith | Special teams quality control coach for Buffalo Bills | NFL's first female full-time coach | 2016 |
| Katie Sowers | Offensive assistant coach for San Francisco 49ers | First woman to coach in the Super Bowl | 2017 |
| Lori Locust | Assistant defensive line coach for Tampa Buccaneers Buc | First women coach to win a Super Bowl | 2019 |
| Maral Javadifar | Assistant strength and conditioning coach for Tampa Bay Buccaneers | First women coach to win Super Bowl | 2019 |
| Jennifer King | Assistant running backs coach for Washington Football Team | NFL’s first Black female assistant coach | 2021 |
Notable NBA women coaches |
|||
| Name | Role | Description | Date |
| Lisa Boyer | Assistant for Cleveland Cavaliers | First woman coach in NBA | 2001 |
| Becky Hammon | Assistant coach for San Antonio Spurs | First female full-time assistant coach | 2014 |
Notable MLB women coaches |
|||
| Name | Role | Description | Date |
| Alyssa Nakken | Assistant coach for San Francisco Giants | First full-time female coach in MLB | 2020 |
| Bianca Smith | Minor league coach for Boston Red Sox | First Black woman to serve as a coach | 2021 |
| Rachel Balkovec | Manager of Tampa Tarpons | First women manager in minor league baseball | 2022 |
Notable NHL women coaches |
|||
| Name | Role | Description | Date |
| Dawn Braid | Skating coach for Arizona Coyotes | First full-time women coach in NHL | 2016 |
| Jessica Campbell | Assistant coach for Coachella Valley Firebirds | First female AHL assistant coach | 2022 |
