Jennifer King

Last updated

Jennifer King
Jennifer King 2021 (51393208077) (cropped 2).jpg
King in 2021
Chicago Bears
Position:Offensive assistant (running backs)
Personal information
Born: (1984-08-06) August 6, 1984 (age 40)
Eden, North Carolina, U.S.
Career information
High school: Rockingham County (Wentworth, North Carolina)
College:
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards

Jennifer King (born August 6, 1984) is an American football coach who is an offensive assistant for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). She is best known for being the first black woman to be a full-time NFL coach upon being named assistant running backs coach for the Washington Commanders in 2021. A former two-sport athlete at Guilford College, King has also coached women's college basketball and for the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

Contents

Early life and college

King was born August 6, 1984, in Eden, North Carolina, and was raised in Reidsville, North Carolina. [1] She attended Guilford College, where she played college basketball and softball, before graduating with a degree in sports management in 2006. [2] She played in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA) as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Carolina Phoenix from 2006 to 2017, a defensive back and wide receiver for the New York Sharks in 2018, and safety for the D.C. Divas in 2019. She was a part of the Sharks team that won the 2018 WFA Division II Championship. She later attended Liberty University in the mid-2010s and graduated with a Master of Science degree in sports management. [3]

Coaching career

Basketball

Playing career
Basketball
2002–2006 Guilford
Softball
2002–2006Guilford
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2006–2016 Greensboro (assistant)
2016–2018 Johnson & Wales
Head coaching record
Overall37–10 (.787) (college)
Tournaments3–0 (USCAA Division II)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 USCAA National (2018)
Awards
USCAA Women's Division II Coach of the Year (2018)

King was an assistant coach at Greensboro College from 2006 to 2016, where the program compiled a 182–63 record, 5 regular season championships, 2 conference tournament championships, and four NCAA tournament appearances. She was hired as the women's basketball head coach at Johnson & Wales University in North Carolina, where she turned around a program that had existed for only two years prior into a national champion within two seasons. [4] [5]

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Johnson & Wales Wildcats (Eastern Metro Athletic Conference)(2016–2018)
2016–17Johnson & Wales 15–62–0
2017–18Johnson & Wales 22–4USCAA Division II National Champion
Johnson & Wales:37–10 (.787)2–0 (1.000)
Total:37–10 (.787)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

American football

King in 2020 Washington Football Team coach Jennifer King.jpg
King in 2020

King was one of 40 women to attend the NFL's Women's Forum in 2018, where she met then-Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and expressed her interest in working with in the NFL. [6] She was hired as an intern by the Panthers later that year, where she assisting in coaching their wide receivers. She got her first full-time coaching gig in 2018 as an assistant wide receivers and special teams coach for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). [7] After the AAF folded in 2019, King was once again brought on as an intern for the Panthers, this time working with the running backs. [8]

King was also named an offensive assistant at Dartmouth for the 2019 season. While there, she was awarded one of the three inaugural grants of the Scott Pioli & Family Fund for Women Football Coaches & Scouts, given to female football coaches and scouts to provide financial assistance. [9] She interned once more as a coach with the Washington Football Team in 2020, working once again under Rivera who joined Washington that season. [10] [11] She was promoted to assistant running backs coach the following year, making her the first black woman to become a full-time coach in NFL history. [12] [13] King served as the running backs coach for the West team in the 2022 East–West Shrine Bowl. [14] She was hired by the Chicago Bears as an offensive assistant in 2024, focusing on running backs. [15]

Personal life

King has also worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and as a police officer in High Point, North Carolina. [16] [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duce Staley</span> American football player and coach (born 1975)

Duce Staley is an American football coach and former player who is the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served in the same capacity with the Detroit Lions during the 2021 and 2022 NFL seasons, and with the Philadelphia Eagles in various assistant coaching roles from 2011 to 2020.

Richard Scott Proehl is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Proehl played 17 seasons with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts. He played in four Super Bowls and won two: Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams and Super Bowl XLI with the Colts. He is remembered as a member of "The Greatest Show on Turf".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Lewis (wide receiver)</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

Gregory Alan Lewis Jr. is an American football coach and former player. He is the wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played wide receiver in the NFL for eight seasons. After playing college football for Illinois, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played for the Eagles for six seasons from 2003 to 2008 and the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons from 2009 to 2010. Lewis has served as assistant coach for the University of San Diego, San Jose State, Pittsburgh Panthers, Eagles, and Chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Fox (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1955)

John Fox is an American football coach and former player who previously was a senior defensive assistant for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers (2002–2010), Denver Broncos (2011–2014) and Chicago Bears (2015–2017) of the National Football League (NFL). He coached the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII and the Broncos to Super Bowl XLVIII.

Walter Hines Page Senior High School is a public high school in Greensboro, North Carolina commonly referred to as Page High School or simply Page.

Scottie Austin Montgomery is an American football coach who is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He most recently was the running back coach for the Indianapolis Colts. Prior to that he was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maryland. Prior to his tenure with Maryland, he was the head football coach at East Carolina University. He had previously served as an assistant at Duke University and for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Montgomery grew up in North Carolina and played wide receiver at Duke and in the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Wilks</span> American football player and coach (born 1969)

Steven Bernard Wilks is an American football coach and former player who last served as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. He was head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and previously served as defensive backs coach of the Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers and defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Missouri. He played college football at Appalachian State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyke Tolbert</span> American football player and coach (born 1967)

Tyke Tolbert is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). Tolbert previously served as wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and New York Giants.

Thomas Brown is an American football coach and former running back who is the passing game coordinator for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Fears</span> American football coach (born 1954)

Ivan Fears is a former American football coach. He was the running backs coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) from 2002 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Welter</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Dr. Jennifer Welter is an American football player, coach, academic, entrepreneur, and executive. She was a defensive coaching intern for the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals during their training camp and the 2015 preseason, making her the first female coaching intern in the NFL. This is her third "first" for men's football in 2014 and 2015. As of 2024, she is the chief marketing officer of the Arena Football League.

Jerry Mack is an American college football coach and former player. He is the running backs coach at the University of Tennessee, a position he has held since 2021. Mack served as the head football coach at North Carolina Central University from 2014 to 2017, compiling a record of 31–15 in four seasons. He was the offensive coordinator and associate football head coach at Rice University prior to his hiring at Tennessee. Mack played college football as a wide receiver at Jackson State University and Arkansas State University.

Jeff Nixon is a former American football player. He currently is the offensive coordinator and running backs coach for the Syracuse Orange.

Eric Washington is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills following experience as the defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callie Brownson</span> American football player and coach (born 1989)

Callie Brownson is an American football coach and player who is the assistant wide receivers coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). In September 2018, she became the first woman hired as a full-time NCAA Division I coach, when she was promoted by Dartmouth, after briefly working as an intern for the team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Tabor</span> American football player and coach (born 1971)

Chris Tabor is an American football coach who last served as interim head coach and special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears, and has more than 20 years of coaching experience between the high school, collegiate and professional levels.

Joseph Brady is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers from 2020 to 2021. He was a passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach for the LSU Tigers during the 2019 season, winning the Broyles Award for the best assistant coach in college football, and an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints from 2017 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Sowers</span> American football player and coach (born 1986)

Katie Sowers is an American football coach, formerly in the National Football League (NFL). She was the first openly gay and first female coach in Super Bowl history. Sowers began her American football career playing in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). She joined the NFL in 2016 as a coach for the Atlanta Falcons and then with the San Francisco 49ers, before joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. Sowers currently works in the athletic department of Ottawa University.

References

  1. ↑ "Jennifer King". guilfordquakers.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "Jennifer King '06: Tackling Stereotypes and Pushing Boundaries". Guilford College. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Jennifer King - LinkedIn". LinkedIn.com. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Jennifer King Tabbed to Lead Women's Basketball Program". Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte. August 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  5. ↑ "King recently led Johnson & Wales to USCAA national title". Greensboro News and Record. March 27, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  6. ↑ "'You got this; you've been doing this': high hopes for new Washington assistant coach Jennifer King". The Athletic. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Rockingham alumni Jennifer King accepts coaching job with Arizona Hotshots". Greensboro News and Record. February 18, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Jennifer King steps in to coach Panthers running backs at Fan Fest". Carolina Panthers. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  9. ↑ "King Receives Inaugural Grant for Women Football Coaches and Scouts". Dartmouth College Athletics. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Jennifer King, Rockingham County native with ties to Guilford and Greensboro colleges, draws interest from Washington Redskins". Greensboro News and Record. February 9, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Jennifer King Hired as NFL Coaching Intern". Dartmouth College Athletics. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Washington's Jennifer King will be first Black woman to be full-time NFL coach". New York Post. January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Washington Names Jennifer King As Assistant Running Backs Coach". WashingtonFootball.com. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  14. ↑ Selby, Zach. "Jennifer King makes history as running backs coach for West team in 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl". WashingtonFootball.com. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  15. ↑ Mayer, Larry (February 21, 2024). "Matt Eberflus finalizes Bears coaching staff". Chicago Bears . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ Bryan, Will. "Jennifer King making waves as female coach". Panthers.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2021. I also took a part-time job with Delta as a flight attendant so I could fly for free
  17. ↑ "Jennifer King has been a cop, a QB and a national champion. Next up: Redskins assistant coach". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  18. ↑ King, Jennifer (March 4, 2021). "Washington Football Team's Jennifer King on making history as first Black woman to be full-time NFL coach". ESPN. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.