How many women coaches will feature in the NFL in 2023? Exploring the league's diversity record

With 15 women coaches, a 25 percent rise over the 2021 season, the 2022 NFL season established a pattern for female inclusion in coaching roles in the National Football League that had never been done before.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the most female coaches because Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust were extremely important to the club. The former was a defensive line assistant, and the latter was a strength and conditioning coach. In 2021, after Buccaneers' victory against Kansas City Chiefs, they became the first female coaches in a team to win the Super Bowl. In the shakeup earlier this year, Lori Locust was among the six assistant coaches who the Bucs fired.

Let's now examine whether or not that figure will rise or fall during the 2023 season.

With Kaelyn Buskey, Megan Rosburg, and Mariana Salas all employed by the Baltimore Ravens, they are currently the squad with the most female coaches. Rosburg is the head coach's assistant, Buskey is an assistant strength and conditioning coach, and Salas is a participant in coaching research.

After working with the Cleveland Browns as a scouting assistant for three years, Riley Hecklinski will take on the role of coordinator of coaching logistics for the 2023 season.

One woman will serve as a coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. Maral Javadifar will serve as the director of rehabilitation and performance coaching.

Two women coaches are in the NFC East. Jennifer King is the assistant running backs coach for the Washington Commanders, while Angela Baker is the offensive assistant for the New York Giants.

The others are Lori Locust, the defensive quality control coach for the Tennessee Titans, and Elizabeth Harrison, the head football coach's assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars. This brings the total number of coaches on NFL rosters to nine ahead of the 2023 season.

Why are we seeing more women coaches in the NFL?

Even while it happens gradually, the NFL landscape is evolving. The NFL had six women coaches on its employee list in 2021, but by last season, there were 15 women coaches in the league.

Before the start of the 2022 season, the NFL set new inclusion and diversity guidelines at its yearly owners' conference.

One of the criteria stipulates that each of the 32 NFL clubs must use a "female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority" as an offensive assistant, according to a statement from the league. Since then, NFL is welcoming more female coaches to the league.