The former Commander’s assistant joins Chicago Bears offensive staff
The Chicago Bears have hired former Washington assistant coach Jennifer King. King becomes the first woman to ever coach for the Bears.
NFL Network’s Bridget Condon first reported the news of the Bears hiring Jennifer King. King Joins the Bears’ offensive coaching staff. The report is that she will serve as an assistant coach.
The Bears are hiring Jennifer King to the offensive coaching staff, per source (@BridgetCondon_ first). King spent the past three seasons with the Commanders as their assistant RBs coach.
King will be the first female coach in Bears history.
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) February 20, 2024
Not only is Jennifer King the first woman to coach for Chicago Bears, she was the first Black woman coach in NFL history.
Jennifer King’s NFL journey
King first entered the NFL as a intern running back coach withe the Carolina Panthers in 2019 under head coach Ron Rivera. She then worked at Dartmouth College as an offensive assistant until February of 2020. She was then hired by the Washington Commanders, reuniting with Rivera, to serve as an assistant running backs coach.
King has spent the last 3 seasons in Washington. Now, she will be bringing her skill set to the Chicago Bears running back room.
Back in 2021 King spoke about how she never feels “othered” or excluded during her experience in a male dominated sport.
“For me, it’s never really been a big deal because no one has made it a big deal,” she tells PEOPLE. “No one treats me any differently. Every once in a while, [I may] look up in a meeting and think, ‘I’m the only woman in here.’ But it’s never been a big deal and I like it that way. I don’t want to be singled out in any way. And I think that’s also a testament to the people I work with and for, [they’re] progressive enough that it’s not a big deal.”
King also said her commitment to being herself. Her authenticity is one of the reasons why she has earned the respect of the players she works with.
“Throughout the whole process, even when I started coaching basketball, I thought, ‘I can only be me,’ ” she says. “I went in with that mentally for football, too. Being your authentic self is huge and it helps build trust with players. It helps build trust all along the way.”
Before Jennifer King starting coaching football, she was a player. King played 14 years of Women’s tackle football from 2006 to 2019.
King’s impact outside of football
Jennifer King also has a significant impact in her communities. King founded a non-profit organization called The King Group.
The King Group is a sports based organization enriching the lives of kids through camps, experiences, and community programs.
Jennifer King brings her experience as a player and as a coach with her. The Chicago Bears are getting someone who has seen both sides of football and has had success at every level in her career.
Welcome to Chicago Jennifer!
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