The Washington Redskins officially announced the hiring of Jennifer King as a full-time coaching intern Monday to become the first female coach in the franchise’s history and the first black female to serve in the role in league history.
King will work specifically with the running backs, assisting running backs coach Randy Jordan.
Redskins coach Ron Rivera hired King after working with her with the Carolina Panthers. In 2018, she was a receivers coaching intern, and the following year, she was a running backs coaching intern.
“Jennifer is a bright young coach and will be a great addition to our staff,” Rivera said in a statement. “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.”
Last fall, King worked with Dartmouth College as an offensive assistant, helping create scouting reports and working with the receivers. She also has experience in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Arizona Hotshots.
As a coach, King has been able to use her experience as an athlete to connect with players. She played in the semi-professional tackle league, the Women’s Football Association, with the Carolina Phoenix and the New York Sharks.
Under her previous roles as an intern, King had only stayed with the team through training camp and the preseason. Now, she’ll work with the Redskins during the regular season as well.
She is one of four female assistant coaches in the NFL — joining San Francisco 49ers’ Katie Sowers and Tampa Bay’s Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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