NFL’s Arizona Cardinals hire league’s first female coach

Welter played linebacker for more than 14 seasons in the Women's Football Alliance, mostly with the Dallas Diamonds, where she helped the team win four championships. Welter holds a master's degree in sports psychology. A rugby player at Boston College, she also earned two gold medals with the United States at the International Federation of Football Women's World Championships in 2009 and 2013.

A news conference was scheduled for Tuesday to introduce Welter and Levon Kirkland, a former Pro Bowl linebacker who is the inaugural participant in the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship established to give recently retired NFL players a chance to coach in the league. He will work with outside linebackers for the next two seasons.

Four months ago at the NFL meetings, Arizona coach Bruce Arians was asked about the possibility of a woman coaching in the NFL.

“The minute they can prove they can make a player better, they'll be hired,” Arians said.

Speaking to azcardinals.com on Monday, Arians said: “Coaching is nothing more than teaching. One thing I have learned from players is ‘How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet, I'll listen.’”

“I really believe she'll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her,” Arians said.

It's the second such barrier to be broken this year in the NFL, which announced in April that Sarah Thomas would be the first woman to be a full-time field official.

In the NBA, Becky Hammon is an assistant coach with San Antonio and served as the head coach for the Spurs' team that won the Las Vegas Summer League championship.

The Associated Press