Simply because she's qualified. SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 15: Mark Hacking listens to the judge during When she was sidelined by a knee injury, she turned to coaching her team, and later joined several other teams as an assistant, including the varsity team at her alma mater. I really do. Lori Hacking, The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Please considersupporting our work. for killing his wife, Lori Hacking, in July 2004. She then received her doctor of physical therapy degree from New York Medical College. When her full-year internship is up, King will be evaluated for a full-time role with Washington, sans the internship tag. A lot of people think she was hired as a favor, but shes more than qualified, said Kevin Ross, the former Temple star who is now Tampa Bays cornerbacks coach. She's just a coach, brought here to help deliver this team a championship. For Lori Locust, the path to becoming an NFL coach didnt just happen overnight. The Tennessee Titans are reportedly making history by adding former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust to their defensive coaching staff.The news comes from NFL Networks Ian Rapoport, who notes that Locust will be taking a defensive assistant role on head coach Mike . Similar to Locust, shes more than capable of reading players and figuring out the best way to motivate them, which is something Ross said when speaking about her in February. Locust said she dreams of one day becoming a head defensive line coach or even a coordinator. When she learned that the NFL was conducting a Womens Careers in Football Forum in conjunction with its 2017 Scouting Combine, she drove to Indianapolis. Congratulations to @CoachLoLoc and Coach @Maraljavadifar, the first women coaches to ever win a Super Bowl. Javadifar has a doctorate in physical therapy and was hired as an assistant strength and conditioning coach/physical therapist. Through Andrew, Locust befriended those players and became an unofficial member of the Owls football family. Less than a decade later, and Locus is now the assistant defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians is well-known as one of the NFLs foremost champions of diversity. But you would not know the difference. And I wouldnt have it any other way.. That, to me, was really cool. years to life for the murder of Please check your email for a confirmation. The workshops are free, but audience members are encouraged to leave a donation to tip the instructor. Though, she doesn't want to be known by that "I would hope that other owners would look and see that this works," says Bruce Arians about his diverse coaching staff. "From day one," said defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, who Locust assists on a daily basis in her role. The fact that their gender is different, who gives a [hoot]? said Arians, who added a female strength and conditioning assistant, Maral Javadifar, along with Locust, to the Tampa Bay staff. According to PennLive, Locusts ex-husband played under Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. addresses the judge Rhiannon Walker covers Culture for The Athletic. his sentencing June 6, 2005 Grading every Super Bowl ad: Which got As and Fs? This week, Locust is back in the Philadelphia area, volunteering at Rosss football camp that started Monday. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "My name was being circulated through other professional sports and in the NFL, there aren't many PT/Strength coaches or strength coaches who are also PTs," she explained in how she ended up in Tampa. TikTok Is Obsessed With Hormone Balancing, but Is It Legit? We acknowledge the fact that there hasn't been many before us, but it's not anything that we keep in the forefront of what we do on a daily basis.". I had no idea Bruce was going to be there, and I didnt know that Joe had talked to Bruce on my behalf, Locust said. Now, zero. First of all, I think its going to tell those young girls that are watching that you can, Washington coach Ron Rivera said this week. Lori Locust named Tennessee Titans' first full-time female coach. And that was on top of working full time and raising her two sons. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? Locust emailed Arians, reminding him that 36 years before they had met at Temple. Locust coached in the Alliance of American Football and was an intern for the Baltimore Ravens before the Buccaneers hired her last offseason as an assistant defensive line coach. In Tampa, Locust has waded confidently into locker rooms and coaching rooms populated exclusively by men, almost none of whom has ever worked with a woman. Monday June Locust and Javadifar became the first female coaches on a team to win the Super Bowl, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 Sunday night. Once in Tampa, she found that the Ravens internship had prepared her well. Look around at his current staff and you'll see many of his former players and even staff members from that Temple team in the 1980's. WebOne Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant coach didnt START playing tackle football until nearly age 40: Lori Locust, the teams second-year assistant defensive-line coach. Locust shared similar sentiments about King the focus and attention to detail and noted how calm and relaxed King always is. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! Quality local journalism has never been more important. This game, its a tremendous game. She emailed Arians after he took over in Tampa Bay, and was soon coaching the Buccaneers defensive line, arguably the teams most impressive unit in Super Bowl LV. Locust and Javadifar have worked two seasons on the staff of coach Bruce Arians. Born in Philadelphia in 1964, Locust was adopted by a Harrisburg couple soon afterward. This page was last modified on 5 February 2019, at 14:14. addresses the judge during Locust is a graduate of Susquehanna Township High School in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. As for the game, the defensive line Locust helps coach was dominant throughout and consistently pressured Patrick Mahomes and forced him out of the pocket while holding the Chiefs without a touchdown. However, we now have a good idea of what her role will be. She demands excellence, but she does so in such a laid-back way. McKissic, whos had a career year. In March, as the doomed leagues only season neared its early conclusion, she attended a coaching clinic at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. murder in the death of Previously, she covered the Washington Commanders for The Athletic. Javadifar, age 30, became the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Buccaneers in 2020, so this was also her second season. Assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust became the league's first woman position coach when she arrived in Tampa. Everyone kind of held a part in that game, and this weekend itll be cool to share the sidelines with Lo and MJ; theyre friends of mine. his pretrial hearing in Salt Lake In fact, the Bucs top four highest-ranking assistants are all Black: offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong and assistant head coach/run game coordinator Harold Goodwin. A Super Bowl champion with the Bucs following the 2020 season, Locust experienced the highs and lows of NFL coaching business while recognizing and leaning on the value of relationships in the industry to help her land another coaching opportunity. But she wasnt out of work for long, joining Titans head coach Mike Vrabels staff on Feb. 4. judgment during, SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: Mark Hacking (L) and his defense attorney, Arians, who as coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 hired a female intern, Jen Welter, to work with his linebackers, has been a pioneer in the push for women coaches. This year's game was the 55th Super Bowl. She demands respect. Armed with plenty of experience, the Philly native and Temple grad eventually latched on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made history with the Super Bowl-winning franchise. She married Andrew, had two kids (Alex, 29, and Bryce, 22), divorced, and in 2004, at age 40, began to play womens semipro football as a defensive lineman with the Central Penn Vipers. A student at Temple University the same time Arians was head coach of the football program there, Locust met her future boss only a handful of times, according to PennLive. And shes not afraid. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! breaks down as she his sentencing June 6, 2005 Yes, you can coach in the NFL. The 30-year-old Javadifar is an assistant strength and conditioning coach, and the 56-year-old Locust is an assistant defensive line coach. Locust has coached for the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the National Arena League, the Keystone Assault of the Women's Football Alliance, the East Preps talent showcase, and the DMV Elite community football program. But she wasnt out of work for long, joining Titans head coach Mike Vrabels staff on Feb. 4. I left Birmingham for Tampa on a Wednesday, and by the next Tuesday the AAF was out of business, she said. To keep creating Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady named Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time in his career as he leads Tampa Bay to its second Super Bowl championship in franchise history. Sarah Thomas became the first woman referee to officiate a Super Bowl. When Washington played Cleveland in September, it was the first NFL game with three women on the field in King, Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson and NFL official Sarah Thomas. That made her one of the staff right away. We need your support. killing his wife, Lori Hacking, in July 2004. While her parents took her to occasional high school football games, neither was a fan of the sport. In addition to Locust and Javadifar making history, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to ever officiate in the Super Bowl. Kacy Rodgers is the Bucs head defensive line coach. Sarah Thomas also made history as the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, working as the down judge. I think when you allow it to be an organic (process), this is just another assistant coach, theres really no ripple, theres no problem with it. #GoBucs #NFL pic.twitter.com/3kH3ylXCuG, "She's an extremely talented coach," Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said in a Tampa Bay Times article. That said, there is some overlap between the two positions in Tennessee, as weve seen a guy like Denico Autry be deployed at outside linebacker in recent years. If this helps broaden the path for others, great. Hacking was given six years to #SuperBowl #EarnedNotGiven https://t.co/betxrR8bcm, Im cheering you on today, Sarah Thomas! In her first season in Washington, King has worked with future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson, as well as rookie Antonio Gibson, whose 11 touchdowns are three shy of the franchise record for a rookie, and J.D. son, Mark Hacking was given a six years to life sentence According to her Twitter bio, Locust will work as a defensive quality control coach. for the Game Ball from Sunday's historic victory, The Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV on Sunday night, winning the franchise's second league championship and becoming the first team ever to hoist the Lombardi Trophy on their own home field. Hacking, addresses pleaded guilty He said, `This is incredible. Hacking, addresses, SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: Thelma Soares, mother of Lori Hacking, She attended the NFLs annual Womens Careers in Football Forum in 2017 and 2018, later getting a job in the Alliance of American Football until the league folded. He recalled how his eyes were opened 25 years ago by Dot Murphy, a longtime coach at Hinds Community College in Mississippi. "M.J. (Maral Javadifar) and I are here to help Tampa Bay win," said Locust during Monday's Super Bowl media availability. Mike Moraitis. Its just getting the opportunity. Web Provided by WHTM Harrisburg Buccaneers fire assistant DL coach Lori Locust, Susquehanna Twp. We have many As a youngster, she developed an interest in football, attracted by its aggressiveness and physicality. There were five or six years of mens semi-pro coaching. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. We want other women to know this is the end result, but the focus really needs to be on the path and the work that needs to be put in to get here so that theyre not like, Oh, this is great! Because its not for everybody. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. ), Some people sometimes feel like theres some magic wand somewhere and like, poof, all of a sudden, like, theres qualified women, Locust said. Mark Hacking killed his wife in July, 2004. Four years later, she became an assistant with the Central Penn Piranha, a mens semipro team. The Titans have not announced the move. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. The sites fans include actresses Tori Spelling and Alysia Reiner, singer Cyndi Lauper and basketball star Lisa Leslie. Other women in the Buccaneers organization include scouting assistant Carly Helfand and director of football research Jackie Davidson. Locust coached in the Alliance of American Football and was an intern for the, "I do look forward to the day that it's no longer newsworthy to be a woman working in the pros, or making the Super Bowl for that matter," Javadifar said Monday, per the, . 19 hours ago, by Njera Perkins I thought that was really a neat thing that nobody made a big deal about it. She continued coaching after college, and worked her way up to the NFL. Salt Lake City, Utah. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I was working with Terrell Suggs, Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams, she said. She was an offensive assistant for the San Francisco 49ers in their loss to the Chiefs. Hacking, addresses Elite athletes, they know how to go from A to B and for us to get them to the next level or make them feel their best, fine tuning some of the intricacies of their body and their movement allows us to do that and program for them, specifically. It's something Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar can attest to, both helping to blaze a trail that bursts through the gender wall usually present on NFL coaching staffs. She is by most reckonings the NFLs third full-time female assistant. Armed with plenty of experience, the Philly native and Temple grad eventually latched on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made history with the Super Bowl-winning franchise. Hacking, in July 2004. sentencing June 6, 2005 in Salt Lake City, The guys get it. six years to life for killing his wife, Lori, in July 2004. It was a curious choice and not just because she was a girl. Just like last year, the Bucs will have a lot of work to do on their 2021 roster before and after free agency begins but Head Coach Bruce Arians believes the team can keep a 'special' group together because the sky is the limit for them, Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and won his fourth Super Bowl MVP award as his Buccaneers throttled Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, 31-9, to become the first team ever to win a Super Bowl on its home turf, QB Tom Brady won his fifth Super Bowl MVP award on Sunday night, and deservedly so, but he says the Bucs' overwhelming 31-9 victory over the Chiefs was the result of an 'amazing group of guys' coming together when it mattered, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS. With the win, a pair of assistants on the teams coaching staff have made history. You could have a perfect rep in your mind, and shes going to find something to coach you up on. You cant get caught up in who they are and what theyve done, Locust said a recent interview. Thats not me. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: Thelma Soares, mother of Lori Hacking, SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: Janet Hacking, Mark Hacking's mother, to address the media after Mark A former Temple student who grew up a Steelers fan in Harrisburg, Locust is one of just a handful of women working on NFL staffs. Soon enough, they'll get their Super Bowl rings, just like Tom Brady and the rest of the Buccaneers. her son's sentencing June 6, 2005, in Years later, they were on opposite sidelines. Photo provided by Girls Nite In Online. , Awesome, Youre All Set! Trailblazers: Sarah Thomas, Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar. It wasnt until she turned 40 that Lori Locust decided to go for her dream. with his attorney, in Salt Lake City, Utah. "And, you know, I hope we get to a point where all people are afforded equal opportunities to work in professional sports because there are a lot of great qualified coaches out there. While Locust and Javadifar were making history Sunday, they weren't the only ones. Follow Rhiannon on Twitter @InstantRHIplay, Rashad Ross, who led the AAF in touchdown receptions. 18 hours ago, by Victoria Edel She also has a sports background, as she played college basketball at Pace University, where she earned her bachelor of science degree in molecular biology. his Mark Hacking killed his wife in Hacking was given six years July, 2004. Bucs hammer Chiefs in Super Bowl LV behind Brady, defense, Brady named Super Bowl MVP for record fifth time, Super Bowl betting: Bucs made plenty of people happy. having signed Locusts old high school hired her in 2009 as an assistant coach, a job she kept for almost a decade. TAMPA, Fla. -- Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar, Super Bowl champs. Sign up for the Titans Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Diversity wins. Shes done a great job really, really proud of her, Arians said this week. I think it's definitely an area that is needed and we see a difference here. Locust is a graduate of Susquehanna Township High School in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Hacking was sentenced to six years to life Thats why I think it works so well here, is hes gathered individuals that he knows will benefit the organization. Rodgers put her in charge of the rookies and free agents at her first offseason practices, advising her to make herself available for all their questions and concerns. Individually, and obviously for our team, but just reflecting on it, its been so special to be a part of those moments. On Saturday, the Tennessee Titans made franchise history by hiring their first full-time female coach in Lori Locust, who previously spent four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an assistant defensive line coach. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will hold a socially distant boat parade on Wednesday, February 10, beginning at 1 p.m. in celebration of their Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. She Photo provided by Girls Nite In Online. SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 15: Mark Hacking is escorted out of the Women's History Month: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Assistant DL Coach Lori Locust. She also knows how to trash talk when it's needed because what good coach doesn't? SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 15: Mark Hacking (R) with his attorney, WebUSA TODAY - Luke Easterling 2d. Lori Locust named Tennessee Titans' first full-time female coach. The two already knew each other; theyd played against each other in their semi-pro womens league. Oh, by the way, they all happened to be African American. Shes not afraid at all.. Lori Locust is a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but she got her start on the football fields of the Susquehanna Valley. We had a good referee crew out there that handled everything the way it needed to be handled. Definitely a special moment for the league and women in sports, in general. Girls Nite In Online offers a series of virtual workshops geared towards women and run by women. Before the Buccaneers made history as the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium, they had been making history with the coaching staff that arrived at the start of 2019. Both women are in their second seasons working under Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians. In the early 1980s, her family left the Middle Eastern country to come to America. Tom Brady was the deserving Super Bowl LV MVP, so to make things interesting Carmen Vitali and Scott Smith are here to nominate two people other than the G.O.A.T. 20 hours ago, by Victoria Messina Whenever she played football in the backyard with neighborhood kids, she was Jack Lambert, Pittsburghs snarling middle linebacker. If a player isnt doing what they need to be doing, she isnt afraid to yell at them, and she is intense about her work. Locusts low point might have come when that one-year Baltimore internship ended. Thomas worked as the downs judge Sunday, finishing her sixth season as a full-time official on the NFLs biggest stage. And though Locust didn't play football at the time, she was there, also attending Temple. Not only do the Buccaneers have multiple women on their coaching staff, they are also the only NFL team with an all-Black group of coordinators under Arians. Last season, Katie Sowers became the first female to coach in a Super Bowl.