The Tampa Bay Buccaneersmade headlines last week as the first team to bring aboard two women as full-time assistant coaches with the additions of Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar.
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians looks forward to the day when the hiring of women as coaches no longer commands a news cycle.
"It's time, and I'll be happy when it's not news anymore," Arians said Tuesday at the Annual League Meeting in Phoenix, via Jenna Laine of ESPN. "That's where it should be heading. They're what we need. The fact that their gender's different, who gives a s---?"
This isn't the first time Arians has added a female to his coaching staff, as he hired the league's first female training camp coaching intern, Dr. Jen Welter, in 2015 while with the Arizona Cardinals.
Arians' faith in female coaches started early during his time in the college coaching ranks, where he observed Dot Murphy coach wide receivers at Hinds Community College while serving Arians was at Mississippi State.
"She was one of the best receiver coaches I'd ever seen," Arians said. "This was 25 years ago. So my answer [when asked], 'Can they coach?' Hell yeah. I've seen it. It's just getting opportunities."
The Buccaneers are now leading the way in the NFL by providing two chances, as Arians proves once again that he will give priority to talent over gender.
Javadifar, who joins the Buccaneers after being a physical therapist in Seattle, is the Buccaneers' assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Locust joins Arians' staff as the assistant defensive line coach, and she previously served in the same capacity with the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football league.
Before losing Locust from their ranks, the AAF had three female assistant coaches. Welter currently serves as a defensive assistant for the Atlanta Legends, while Jennifer King is an assistant wide receivers coach for the Arizona Hotshots.
