NFL Divisional Round: Meet the Women who will be coaching on the sidelines Sunday
Creator: Jamie Squire, Jamie Squire | Credit: Getty Images
Only eight teams remain. It's about to get real.
Super Wild Card Weekend didn't necessarily produce major upsets, but it made for an interesting couple of days. The Divisional Round is looking to be a historic weekend for playoff football.
Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes.
Aaron Donald vs. Tom Brady.
Nick Bosa vs. Aaron Rodgers.
Joe Burrow vs. the top-seeded Titans.
Last year, Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar became the first female coaches on a team to win the Super Bowl.
Female coaches have continued to open doors and make an impact within the NFL this season.
The league credits some of their growth to the annual Women’s Careers in Football Forum, a two-day event put together by Sam Rapoport, NFL Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Venessa Hutchinson, Senior Manager of Football Development.
The forum consists of panel discussions, breakout sessions and networking activities with executives, coaches, industry experts and hiring managers, including the NFL and Women Leaders in College Sports.
Getting an opportunity to network with football coaches and executives can be one of the most challenging hurdles for women who have big dreams of working in the NFL.
The event was started in 2017 with the goal of building a talent pipeline that increases the number of women applying for jobs in football and encourage more teams to hire a diverse coaching staff.
Three women will coaching on the sidelines this weekend for the Divisional Playoff Round.
Lori Locust: Assistant Defensive Line Coach
Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Working alongside Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers, the pairing led a dominant, Super Bowl-winning defensive line unit that led the NFL against the run for the second consecutive season, limiting opponents to 80.6 rushing yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry in the regular season.
Tampa Bay held its opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards an NFL-best 12 times in 2020.
2018, Locust served as a defensive line coaching intern for the Baltimore Ravens during the team's training camp and, from 2016-18, worked as a defensive line/linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator of the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the National Arena League.
Maral Javadifar: Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach/Physical Therapist
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Javadifar is in her third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She joined Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust as the first women on an NFL coaching staff to win a Super Bowl.
Javadifar completed her sports physical therapy residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to her time at VCU, Javadifar worked as a performance physical therapist in the Virginia/DC area. After receiving a bachelor of science degree in molecular biology from Pace, Javadifar then earned her doctor of physical therapy degree from New York Medical College.
Sophia Lewin – Buffalo Bills Offensive Assistant Coach
Lewin landed their first coaching job in the NFL after joining the Bills back in May and was most recently the quality control coach at Princeton after coaching receivers at Hudson Catholic High School in New Jersey.
During the games you’ll find Lewin in the booth with offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll and other coaches charting plays, taking down every detail of the drives.
On the field they work with tight ends coach Rob Boras.
The Bills advanced to the Divisional Round with a 47-17 win over the New England Patriots on Saturday in which they became the first team in NFL history to go a full game without punting, committing a turnover, or kicking a field goal. Lewin is just the second woman ever to hold a full-time coaching job with the Bills.
2022 NFL Playoff Schedule
Divisional Round
Saturday, January 22
(4) Cincinnati Bengals at (1) Tennessee Titans
Where: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS
(6) San Francisco 49ers at (1) Green Bay Packers
Where: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV Channel: FOX
Sunday, January 23
(4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Where: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: NBC, Peacock
(3) Buffalo Bills at (2) Kansas City Chiefs
Where: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: CBS