NFL Trailblazer Jennifer King Champions The Youth
Athletes as Advocates: NFL Trailblazer Jennifer King Champions The Next Generation
Jennifer King rewrote the playbook when she became the first Black woman to coach full-time in NFL history. From the Washington Commanders to the Chicago Bears, the Reidsville-raised maverick is among a small but mighty cohort of female NFL coaches pushing the game forward. Off the field, she’s just as impactful, championing the next generation through her nonprofit, the King Group Foundation.
The trailblazing coach launched the organization in 2021 on a mission to serve the community that shaped her. From offering mentorship, resources, and community programming—like their annual Back-to-School Backpack Giveaway, which equips hundreds of students with backpacks and school supplies—the King Group is making an impact in Reidsville and beyond.
Journey to the NFL
Before breaking barriers in the NFL, King built a decorated resume as both an athlete and coach. A seven-time All-American in the Women’s Football Alliance, she played quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back, and safety for the Carolina Phoenix, New York Sharks, and D.C. Divas—winning two national championships along the way.
From there, King captured the attention of Johnson & Wales athletic director Trudi Lacey, and was hired as the women’s basketball coach at the university’s Charlotte campus. Under King’s leadership, the team won its first USCAA Division II National Championship in 2018—a run that also earned her National Coach of the Year.
A first but not the last
King, a lifelong football fanatic, continued toward her dream. Following her brilliant tenure coaching Johnson & Wales women’s basketball, she found her way to the Carolina Panthers, hired by head coach Ron Rivera as a coaching intern after a chance meeting at the NFL Women’s Forum.
Her time with the Panthers opened the door to working with the Arizona Hotshots of the American Alliance of Football, then Dartmouth College football, where she helped the team secure the 2019 Ivy League Championship.
King reunited with Rivera at the Washington Commanders, coming on as a coaching intern before being promoted to Assistant Running Backs Coach a year later. In 2021, she made history as the first Black woman to become a full-time NFL coach.
Ever moving forward, King has gone on to coach with the Chicago Bears and most recently North Carolina Central University. Living by her motto—“A first but not the last”—the history-making coach continues to blaze trails, paving the way for the next generation to follow.
Athletes as Advocates: NFL Trailblazer Jennifer King Champions The Next Generation was originally published on cassiuslife.com