Tampa Bay becomes the first team with two full-time female coaches

Additions have been ramping up inside One Buccaneer place due to free agency, but the team added two more female coaches to their already large staff today.

A few weeks back, Bruce Arians stated that he wanted to hire full-time female assistants for his staff down in Tampa Bay. While in Arizona, he gave Jen Welter an opportunity to serve as an assistant coach and wanted to follow that model in the Bay area.

Arians made good on his promise and hired two full-time female assistants today. The team added Maral Javidifar as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and also Lori Locust as an assistant defensive line coach.

Locust recently worked for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF, while Javadifar worked as a physical therapist in Seattle.

“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 first hand 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.”

Arians is helping pave the way for many more female coaches to get opportunities in the NFL and the Buccaneers are now the only team with two full-time female assistants on their staff.