The Sports Xchange

The NFL continues to remove its glass ceiling, and the Arizona Cardinals continue to help lead the way.

Just a few months after the league hired Sarah Thomas as its first female referee, the Cardinals — long advocates for African-American executives — have brought in a female coach.

Coach Bruce Arians on Monday hired Jen Welter, a 37-year-old former pro football player, to be a coaching intern during training camp this year. She will help coach inside linebackers.

“Coaching is nothing more than teaching,” Arians said, per the team’s website. “One thing I have learned from players is: ‘How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don’t care if you’re the Green Hornet, man, I’ll listen.’ I really believe she’ll have a great opportunity with this internship through training camp to open some doors for her.”

Arians, a two-time NFL coach of the year, said he talked to the veterans on his team about his decision to hire a female coach, and “they were all very cool with it.”

“It’s not going to be a distraction in any way,” said Arians, who added that he wants to create opportunities for Welter and other women.

“She came for an OTA and I met her, and I thought she was the type of person that could handle this in a very positive way for women and open that door,” Arians said. “I believe very strongly in it.”

In a Twitter message, Welter said, “I am honored to be a part of this amazing team. Special thanks to @BruceArians & the @AZCardinals.”

The hiring of Welter continues a tradition of workplace diversity by Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill, who was honored by the Fritz Pollard Alliance in 2010. According to AZCardinals.com, Bidwill was the first owner to hire an African-American female executive (Adele Harris became director of community relations in 1978), an African-American contract negotiator (Bob Wallace in 1981) and an African-American tandem at general manager and coach (Rod Graves and Dennis Green in 2004).

Welter comes to Arizona from the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League. Welter, who has a PhD in psychology, was the first female non-kicker to play in a men’s pro league when she played running back for the Revolution in 2014.

She also played on the gold-medal squads for Team USA in the Women’s World Championship in 2010 and 2013.

The Cardinals also have hired former Pro Bowl linebacker Levon Kirkland, who will coach outside linebackers for the next two seasons under the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship.

Kirkland, who played 11 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles, was a coaching intern with the Cardinals this offseason.