The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made NFL history on Wednesday when they added two female assistant coaches to their staff.
The team announced that Maral Javadifar will serve as the team’s assistant strength and conditioning coach and Lori Locust will be an assistant defensive line coach.
Head coach Bruce Arians told the team’s website:
“I know how hard it can be to get that first opportunity to coach at the highest level of professional football,” said Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians. “Sometimes, all you need is the right organization to offer up the opportunity. The Glazer family and our general manager, Jason Licht, were extremely supportive of my decision, and I know Maral and Lori will be great additions to my coaching staff.
“I have known Lori going back to my days at Temple University and I’ve seen firsthand just how knowledgeable and passionate she is about this game. I was equally impressed with Maral’s background in performance training and physical therapy and I know she will be a valuable asset to our strength and conditioning program.”
Locust last served as the defensive line coach for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football League. Javadifar was most recently a physical therapist in Seattle.
Fans on Twitter celebrated the historic moves:
