Jennifer King, First Black Woman on an NFL Coaching Staff, to Speak at Cornell on May 3

When Jennifer King became the first black woman to be named a full-time NFL coach in 2021, she became a trailblazer in the world of professional sports. At the same time, teaching the game was just the logical next career step for someone who had invested more than a decade in professional football.

King will be the featured speaker for "Breaking Barriers: The first black woman to coach in the NFL" on Friday, May 3 at 5 p.m. at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall. A one-hour question and answer session will be followed by an opportunity for autographs and photos. The event is sponsored by the office of Black Student Empowerment and supported by Cornell Athletics & Physical Education, the Gender Equity Resource Center and the LGBT Resource Center. The event is free and open to the public.

"I am excited to welcome Coach Jennifer King to Cornell," said Sharifa Wip, Associate Dean of Students & Director of Black Student Empowerment. "As the first Black woman to be a full-time NFL coach, Coach King is a barrier breaker. Her resume and record of excellence in professional sports are an inspiration. We invite our students and the local community to join us for an empowering conversation."

The conversation with King will touch on topics including the power of diversity and representation in sports, normalizing women in athletics and growth opportunities in the world of coaching.

King recently joined the Chicago Bears as the team's run game coordinator after four seasons on the sidelines for the Washington Commanders, the last three as a full-time assistant coach. he began her NFL career as a coaching intern with the Tennessee Titans. She is one of 12 women in full-time coaching positions in the NFL. That came after more than a dozen years playing in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA), a semi-pro full-contact women's league following her graduation from Guilford College (N.Y.) in 2006. She has since been an active advocate for women in football, including her work with the NFL's Women's Forum, which allowed her to network and earn her first break in pro sports back in 2019.

"This will be an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches, and the Ithaca community to connect with a groundbreaking NFL coach," said Erika Rogan, Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning. "It has been a pleasure working with our campus partners in Student and Campus Life to host this event, and we look forward to a great turnout!"