Women and the NFL

**Colts01** · 07-21-2010, 07:43 PM

Can you see a time in the near or distant future when a woman becomes head coach of an NFL team?
So far there seem to be only a handful of women with high level NFL jobs which include...

Dawn Apont- Senior VP of Football Operations with the Dolphins

Amy Trask- CEO of the Oakland Raiders

Katie Blackburn-Executive Vice President Bengals

Rita LeBlanc-Excutive vice president Saints.

There have been others as well and while alot in these positions get in the door via family connections (same can be said for alot of men) I wonder if it will ever translate onto the field via coaching jobs? I say if you are qualified why not.
your thoughts forum.......

**kotar44** · 07-21-2010, 07:48 PM

No...no need to go any further

**Andy Freeland** · 07-21-2010, 07:53 PM

I wonder if it will ever translate onto the field via coaching jobs?

It should, not really sure it will. It would have to start in the high schools and colleges, not the front office. Are there any female position coaches in college or high school?

**Colts01** · 07-21-2010, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Andy Freeland

It should, not really sure it will. It would have to start in the high schools and colleges, not the front office. Are there any female position coaches in college or high school?

One I know of coaching varsity high school
Natalie Randolph, the new head coach at Washington D.C.'s Calvin Coolidge High.

**brauneyz** · 07-21-2010, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by kotar44

No...no need to go any further

OK, gotta ask. Why not?

**CABengalsfan** · 07-21-2010, 10:00 PM

Tough to get a HC job if you have never played the sport at any level. Basketball has the best chance for a female coach because women can play that at a very high level compared to other sports. I just think it is hard to understand and earn respect for a sport that you have never competed in. Not saying it can't or won't be done but it isn't going to happen soon. Blame genetics I guess...

**Colts01** · 07-21-2010, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by CABengalsfan

Tough to get a HC job if you have never played the sport at any level. Basketball has the best chance for a female coach because women can play that at a very high level compared to other sports. I just think it is hard to understand and earn respect for a sport that you have never competed in. Not saying it can't or won't be done but it isn't going to happen soon. Blame genetics I guess...

agree of corse someone would have to work their way up the ranks and agree on the Basketball thing,I think the Likes of Pat Summit can get respect reguardless of gender

**ReaderM** · 07-21-2010, 10:26 PM

While I think there are many opportunites for future women in the front office, I think it will be a long time before we see a female coach. Marcellus Wiley had a really good interview recently on how hard it would be a homosexual male to come out in a locker room. I can only imagine how hard it would be for a female coach to command the respect of room full of grown men in a very testosterone filled atmosphere. Most woman sports are barely gaining recognizability for their accolades with the possible exception of College Women's Basketball and Softball. I mean look how long it took another league, the NBA to integrate a female referee into their fold. NFL has been called an old boys club at times,it took the Rooney Rules just to increase minority hirings within the league. Only way I can currently see a female coach working in the NFL currently is for her to have worked in the college ranks for a few years then having coming into the NFL and proved herself as a coordinator. Not saying there currently is a woman out there who isn't qualified but the current hurdles I think would just be too hard to overcome without a sizable pressure for an outside source.

**TheLinc** · 07-21-2010, 10:36 PM

Never say never, but this one is close. I don't think gender, race or creed is criteria to be considered when talking about how good of a coach one can be, but there are far more outside pressures for females, especially for a sport such as this as has been pointed out. Andy asked the question I came to post, and it seems unlikely that is on the verge of changing either. Until they start filling out lower coaching and coordinator positions, I think the NFL will remain the veritable boys club (aside from the notable exceptions Colts01 astutely pointed out).