History was made tonight! six years to life Nick Gray, Nashville Tennessean. It's because of her unique and incredibly qualified background. Yes, you can coach in the NFL. When she could make it work, when she could make it fit, she found ways to put herself around better coaches, better programs learning, listening, volunteering, doing everything she could to be around football and understand it better. 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. She also volunteered to coach at all-star showcase events scouting combine-like auditions for top Division II and III players in Florida, Canada and elsewhere. Lori Locust's senior football journey started at Central PA Vipers, a women's football team. The Buccaneers announced that Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar are the new additions to head coach Bruce Arians' staff. 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. Lori Locust Hacking, addresses, SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: Thelma Soares, mother of Lori Hacking, His Sunday column, 'Franks Place', examines Philadelphias rich sports history. She shared in an Instagram post that when her mother was growing up, women weren't allowed to go to sporting events, so becoming one of the first female coaches to win a Super Bowl was a way to say thank you to her mother. #SuperBowl https://t.co/eh2XCjBWxq. "I'm cheering you on today, Sarah Thomas!" She is the team's first full-time female coach after working with the Buccaneers. SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: People gather to watch Eraldo Soares, the 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. The other reason? It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. She demands respect. I thought that was really a neat thing that nobody made a big deal about it. NEW! Mark Hacking killed his wife in A year later, she tore virtually every ligament in one of her knees. Mark Hacking killed his wife in July, 2004. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line assistant Lori Locust is joining the Tennessee Titans, she announced on Twitter on Saturday. Locust and Arians talked a few more times and, after checking out Arians with her former Temple friends, she accepted the position. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl champions after routing the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. father of murdered 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. She knows thats what everyone saw, the culmination of 15 years to reach this point. https://titanswire.usatoday.com/2023/02/05/what-new-titans-assistant-lori-locusts-role-will-be/, Ben Jones overcomes Jeffery Simmons cheating to win pool floatie challenge, PFF projects reasonable contract for Titans' Nate Davis, Jeffery Simmons 'very confident' he'll sign extension after meeting Ran Carthon, List of OTs who may be available to Titans in 2023 NFL free agency, Ranking Titans' top 6 pending free agents based on importance, One free agent each NFL team should re-sign in 2023, List of WRs set to be available to Titans in 2023 NFL free agency, Taylor Lewan honors Jerome Boger's retirement in the best way, Titans 7-round mock draft ahead of NFL Combine workouts, Tennessee Titans prospect meetings tracker for NFL Combine, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar are now the first female coaches to ever work on a Super Bowl-winning staff. Now, as the Bucs get set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday for the Lombardi Trophy, they'll become the first team in NFL history with multiple female coaches on their sideline in a Super Bowl. Follow Rhiannon on Twitter @InstantRHIplay, Rashad Ross, who led the AAF in touchdown receptions. We don't see her as a woman, we only see her as Coach Lo and she steps in and performs her role admirably.". WebLocust was hired as the assistant defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, making her the first female position coach in the NFL and the third female full-time assistant coach. The pair also weren't the only women to make history in Sunday's game, as referee Sarah Thomas became the first female official at the Super Bowl. Lori Locust 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. She didnt get one in 2017. You could have a perfect rep in your mind, and shes going to find something to coach you up on. Id never had a conversation with Joe about what I was trying to do.. first lady Jill Biden tweeted. They made it clear there that I was just another coach, and everyone accepted that.. 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. By Axios. This is a different role than the one Locust saw in Tampa Bay, where she worked with defensive linemen. 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. 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. Sarah Thomas became the first woman referee to officiate a Super Bowl. "With our group, you have to have thick skin and she can give it back to them," Rodgers laughed. 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. Lori Locust is the assistant defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Locust, age 56, born in Harrisburg, PA, became the assistant defensive line coach for the Buccaneers in 2020, so this is her second season with Ive never run into a problem with a player or coach. 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. I just want her to encourage them to be that same person.. February 4, 2023 1:12 pm ET. Get daily fitness inspiration right in your inbox. wife Lori in July 2004. She is Coach Locust. He said, `This is incredible. Trailblazers: Sarah Thomas, Lori Locust By that point, her ambition was clear, and in 2017 she took a job guiding the defensive linemen, linebackers and special teams with the now-defunct Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the National Arena League. Previously, she covered the Washington Commanders for The Athletic. I drove thousands of miles to attend conferences and put myself in a position to listen, learn, and network.. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. You'll now receive the top Titans Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. 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. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? When coaches were speaking at hotel conferences, Locust would figure out where the people she wanted to hear were speaking, get the room above it, then sleep on the floor of her hotel room so she could glean some knowledge about the sport she picked up at 40. Locust entered the NFL in 2018 as an intern for the Baltimore Ravens. If teams cannot find success on the ground, Tampa Bays ferocious pass rush can get to work. Locust is a graduate of Susquehanna Township High School in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. It takes guts for anyone, let alone a woman, to walk into a locker room. Fast forward to now and that's probably one of the reasons she was able to fit right in. And though Locust didn't play football at the time, she was there, also attending Temple. It can be public relations. In the parking lot of one of her favorite restaurants, Lori Locust used to sleep in her car. sentencing June 6, 2005, in Salt Lake City, Try a week on us. When the news broke, it was reported Locust was a defensive assistant, but we didnt get any specifics on how exactly shell be helping out. 14 hours ago, by Lindsay Kimble 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. The more she coached, the more she enjoyed it and the more she was noticed. Web Provided by WHTM Harrisburg Buccaneers fire assistant DL coach Lori Locust, Susquehanna Twp. She just wanted to be there because she loved the game and she had something to offer. to murder in the death of his wife Lori in July 2004. "She is a coach. You sit down and talk Xs and Os with her, and you find that out pretty fast. TikTok Is Obsessed With Hormone Balancing, but Is It Legit? He died not long after, but she had met a man who would be her husband for 19 years. It was time for that door to be knocked down and allow them because they've been putting in time, and they're very, very qualified. Gilbert Athay, reacts after. Lori Locust Kansas City defeated San Francisco in last season's Super Bowl. Below Locust talks about her experience as the assistant coach, that she's just a coach, and that's how she's been treated: #Bucs female assistant coach Lori Locust on being just another coach on teams staff. Landry is coming off a torn ACL and the jury is still out on Weaver as a starter, leaving Tennessee with a fairly questionable situation going into 2023. Philly-born Temple product Lori Locust makes history as a And while Locust is comfortable with the attention her hiring has attracted, please dont call her a pioneer. 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. Who Is Michael B. Jordan Dating Now 2023? Girlfriend Lori Harvey Hacking was sentenced to six years to life July, 2004. NFL World Reacts To Titans Historic Hire She actually began her coaching career after playing women's semiprofessional football for four years. ESPN - Turron Tom Brady's rumored model girlfriend is actually already married to an Olympian. Lori Hacking June 6, 2005 in Salt She and her mother fled the country in 1984 and settled in Queens. But they met up again at the inaugural NFL Womens Careers in Football Forum in Orlando in 2017, an invite-only event with just 15 women. Sign up for the Titans Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Please considersupporting our work. 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. I think its huge, (and) I think its the wave of the future.. Locust happily accepted. Locust had been the Bucs' assistant defensive line coach since 2019 and was with the team for the Super Bowl 55 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. 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. #ChampaBay https://t.co/RXuVI4t9G1, Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) February 8, 2021, Congratulations to Sarah Thomas, Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar.You rock.Sincerely,#GirlDad, Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) February 7, 2021, Congratulations to Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar for breaking glass ceilings. To their many fans in the sports world and beyond, that's got a real nice ring to it. Lori was married to Andrew Locust who was a defensive back for Temple football coaches Wayne Hardin and then Arians, playing alongside future NFL defensive "It's more about hey, when training camp starts let's do individual assessments on each player, kind of get an idea of how that player moves, how they work and fine tune the intricate details. Whenever she played football in the backyard with neighborhood kids, she was Jack Lambert, Pittsburghs snarling middle linebacker. She joined the company in 2018 after more than two years at ESPNs The Undefeated, where she spent extensive time writing profiles, historical features and covering all major sports. Arians is well-known as one of the NFLs foremost champions of diversity. Women's History Month: Lori Locust Locust and Assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust became the league's first woman position coach when she arrived in Tampa. pic.twitter.com/kgUlMLuBeA. 18 hours ago, by Victoria Edel She began playing football when she was 40 on a women's team in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: Eraldo Soares (R), father of murdered Lori Locust is a graduate of Susquehanna Township High School in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV Sunday night, we all became witness to another inspiring victory Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar are the first women assistant coaches to win a Super Bowl. She has often made history this season. SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 15: Mark Hacking (R) stands at the podium When her full-year internship is up, King will be evaluated for a full-time role with Washington, sans the internship tag. Then we should be able to get an opportunity just like anybody else.. Head Coach Bruce Arians brought with him the most diverse staff ever seen by the league in more ways than one. Lori Locust Six years ago, Lori Locust attended the NFL Womens Forum hoping to break into an industry she was passionate about. But at some point, as King and Locust and others hope, it will be, as with an all-Black officiating crew, no big deal. It was late in a May practice on a steamy Florida afternoon, one of those moments when overheated players and coaches crave a break and footballs discipline often dissolves in a haze of perspiration and weariness. There were five or six years of mens semi-pro coaching. 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. SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 15: Mark Hacking listens to the judge during Hacking was given six years Last season, Katie Sowers became the first female to coach in a Super Bowl. Hacking pleaded guilty I feel like if were going to say this is a frontier for women, then we need to work for it and earn it and be great coaches. She departed Temple without a degree in 1984 when her father was diagnosed with cancer. Locust emailed Arians, reminding him that 36 years before they had met at Temple. He has people he can trust around him and it doesnt matter what we look like; hes put together that staff because its people that he feels will help the team win. Javadifar grew up in Queens, NY, but her family is from Iran. 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. Who Are Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust? | POPSUGAR Salt Lake City, Utah. Youve got to remember youre responsible for them and their production. The Tennessee Titans are adding former Tampa Buccaneers defensive line assistant Lori Locust to the staff as a defensive assistant, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday. his pretrial ", "It wouldn't matter if we were second in or 273rd," she said last week. SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 15: Mark Hacking is escorted out of the I havent come into this waving the woman card. 14 hours ago, by Samantha Brodsky In Arizona, her receiving corps had former Washington special-teamer and wide receiver Rashad Ross, who led the AAF in touchdown receptions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated their latest Lombardi trophy with a boat parade and the help of thousands. Women's History Month: Brittney Griner highlights trailblazers in Salt Lake City, Utah. Locust and Javadifar have worked two seasons on the staff of coach Bruce Arians. 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. 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. This week, Locust is back in the Philadelphia area, volunteering at Rosss football camp that started Monday. Buccaneers fire assistant DL coach Lori Locust, Susquehanna Twp. But it was no token hire when Bruce Arians asked her in March to join the Buccaneers. I got to see some of the posts and comments, and it was nice to be a part of it. In the early 1980s, her family left the Middle Eastern country to come to America. Thatll be the mark of true progress: when such moments arent highlighted as the first or special but merely the standard. The Titans have not announced the move. "I really value credibility. from Harrisburg to be featured Locust, age 56, born in Harrisburg, PA, became the assistant defensive line coach for the Buccaneers in 2020, so this is her second season with the team. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). addresses the judge pretrial hearing in Salt Lake City, Utah. This game, its a tremendous game. @BruceArians is a legend. A global audience of more than 56 million watched the Kansas City Chiefs record a 38-35 victory over Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, a 7% increase over 2022 as international interest in the NFL continues to rise. addresses the judge during Hacking Theyre good coaches.. Congratulations to @CoachLoLoc and Coach @Maraljavadifar, the first women coaches to ever win a Super Bowl. Lori Locust Sources say shes heading to the #Titans, signing a deal to be a defensive assistant in Tennessee. Girlfriend "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. Looking for an NFL gig, Locust found her way in thanks to an email and some connections. So when she was asked earlier this week about what it meant to make history with her friends, Washington Football Team full-year coaching intern Jennifer King and Tampa Bay assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar, on Saturday evening the first time there were full-time female coaches on opposing teams in a playoff game well, she was less focused on that. In 2019, Lori Lightfoot took the stage in a downtown ballroom and promised to usher in one Chicago, indivisible and united for all.. Hacking, addresses, SALT LAKE CITY - JUNE 6: People gather to watch Eraldo Soares, the To be able to compete with them in a playoff situation is really cool.. And people really dont know, like, the backstory or they dont know that youve coached for years and years, and its like, Oh, wow. Lori Locust For Lori Locust, the path to becoming an NFL coach didnt just happen overnight. Locust will be sharing her journey and the lessons shes learned along the way at a free online seminar with the Girls Nite In Online platform at 4 p.m. on June 24. According to her Twitter bio, Locust will work as a defensive quality control coach. Theyre accepting. Like all rookie coaches, the 55-year-old assistant defensive line coach -- the Buccaneers first full-time female position coach -- is just beginning to navigate this universe of large, talented, and wealthy players. Lori Locust However, we now have a good idea of what her role will be. She's just a coach, brought here to help deliver this team a championship. tennis champion and social justice champion Billie Jean King tweeted. Diversity wins. Sarah Thomas also made history as the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl, working as the down judge. 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. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help From there, she was coaching in semi-pro leagues, a womens league and youth leagues, per the AP. It was all out of pocket. "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 last week. But the following year, after using Bowles, Ross and others as references, she landed an internship as a defensive line assistant with the Baltimore Ravens. Simply because she's qualified. Lori Locust February 11, 2023 12:00 pm ET. I dont have a problem approaching any player.. Locust, who sat in the coaches box and helped defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, known for his exotic blitzes, got a birds-eye view of what she thought the Bucs could capitalize upon. 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.