Jennifer King

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Jennifer King

| image = Jennifer King 2021 (51393208077) (cropped 2).jpg

| alt =

| caption = King in 2021

| current_team =

| position =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|8|6|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Eden, North Carolina, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Rockingham County (Wentworth, North Carolina)

| college = {{ubl|Guilford (2002–2006)|Liberty University (2014–2016)}}

| pastteams =

Carolina Phoenix (2007–2017)
New York Sharks (2018)
D.C. Divas (2019)

| pastcoaching =

Carolina Panthers ({{nfly|2018}})
Wide receivers coach intern
Arizona Hotshots ({{AAF Year|2018|2019}})
Assistant wide receivers and special teams coach
Carolina Panthers ({{nfly|2019}})
Running backs coach intern
Dartmouth (2019)
Offensive assistant
Washington Football Team ({{nfly|2020}})
Coaching intern
Washington Football Team / Commanders ({{nfly|2021|2023}})
Assistant running backs coach
Chicago Bears ({{nfly|2024|}})
Offensive assistant/running backs

| highlights =

Women's Football Alliance Division II champion (2018)

}}

Jennifer King (born August 6, 1984) is an American football coach. A former two-sport athlete at Guilford College, she was the first black woman to be an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL), coaching for the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, and Chicago Bears. King also coached women's college basketball and played for the Carolina Phoenix, New York Sharks, and D.C. Divas of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA).

Early life and college

King was born August 6, 1984, in Eden, North Carolina, and was raised in Reidsville, North Carolina.{{Cite web |title=Jennifer King |url=http://www.guilford.edu/athletics/athletics.cfm?ID=a000433 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040824171657/http://www.guilford.edu/athletics/athletics.cfm?ID=a000433 |archive-date=August 24, 2004 |access-date=November 30, 2024 |website=Guilford College}} She attended Guilford College, where she played college basketball and softball, before graduating with a degree in sports management in 2006.{{cite web |title=Jennifer King '06: Tackling Stereotypes and Pushing Boundaries |url=http://www.giving.guilford.edu/s/1833/interior.aspx?sid=1833&gid=2&pgid=1400 |website=Guilford College |access-date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=March 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327173306/http://www.giving.guilford.edu/s/1833/interior.aspx?sid=1833&gid=2&pgid=1400 |url-status=dead }} She played in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA) as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Carolina Phoenix from 2006 to 2017, a defensive back and wide receiver for the New York Sharks in 2018, and safety for the D.C. Divas in 2019. She was a part of the Sharks team that won the 2018 WFA Division II Championship. She later attended Liberty University in the mid-2010s and graduated with a Master of Science degree in sports management.{{cite web |title=Jennifer King - LinkedIn |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-king-116bb218 |website=LinkedIn.com |access-date=15 April 2021}}

Coaching career

= Basketball =

{{Infobox college coach

| name =

| image =

| player_sport1 = Basketball

| player_years2 = 2002–2006

| player_team2 = Guilford

| player_sport3 = Softball

| player_years4 = 2002–2006

| player_team4 = Guilford

| player_positions =

| coach_years1 = 2006–2016

| coach_team1 = Greensboro (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 2016–2018

| coach_team2 = Johnson & Wales

| overall_record = {{winning percentage|37|10|record=y}} (college)

| tournament_record = 3–0 (USCAA Division II)

| championships = 1 USCAA National (2018)

| awards = USCAA Women's Division II Coach of the Year (2018)

| coaching_records =

}}

King was an assistant coach at Greensboro College from 2006 to 2016, where the program compiled a 182–63 record, 5 regular season championships, 2 conference tournament championships, and four NCAA tournament appearances. She was hired as the women's basketball head coach at Johnson & Wales University in North Carolina, where she turned around a program that had existed for only two years prior into a national champion within two seasons.{{cite journal |title=Jennifer King Tabbed to Lead Women's Basketball Program |url=https://charlotte.jwuathletics.com/general/2016-17/releases/20160818lnhsde |website=Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte |date=18 August 2016 |access-date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=January 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128163827/https://charlotte.jwuathletics.com/general/2016-17/releases/20160818lnhsde |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=King recently led Johnson & Wales to USCAA national title |url=https://greensboro.com/rockingham_now/king-recently-led-johnson-wales-to-uscaa-national-title/article_43876a0a-3146-11e8-826e-f78e3bb2a47d.html |website=Greensboro News and Record |date=27 March 2018 |access-date=22 January 2021}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason= | poll = }}

{{CBB yearly record subhead

| name = Johnson & Wales Wildcats

| conference = Eastern Metro Athletic Conference

| startyear = 2016

| endyear = 2018

}}

{{CBB yearly record entry

| championship =

| season = 2016–17

| name = Johnson & Wales

| overall = 15–6

| conference = 2–0

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB yearly record entry

| championship = national

| season = 2017–18

| name = Johnson & Wales

| overall = 22–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = USCAA Division II National Champion

}}

{{CBB yearly record subtotal

| name = Johnson & Wales

| overall = {{winning percentage|37|10|record=y}}

| confrecord = {{winning percentage|2|0|record=y}}

}}

{{CBB yearly record end

| overall = {{winning percentage|37|10|record=y}}

}}

= American football =

File:Washington Football Team coach Jennifer King.jpg in 2020]]

King was one of 40 women to attend the NFL's Women's Forum in 2018, where she met then-Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and expressed her interest in working with in the NFL.{{cite web |title='You got this; you've been doing this': high hopes for new Washington assistant coach Jennifer King |url=https://theathletic.com/1595759/2020/02/10/you-got-this-youve-been-doing-this-high-hopes-for-new-washington-assistant-coach-jennifer-king/?redirected=1 |website=The Athletic |access-date=22 January 2021}} She was hired as an intern by the Panthers later that year, where she assisting in coaching their wide receivers. She got her first full-time coaching gig in 2018 as an assistant wide receivers and special teams coach for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).{{cite web |title=Rockingham alumni Jennifer King accepts coaching job with Arizona Hotshots |url=https://greensboro.com/rockingham_now/sports/rockingham-alumni-jennifer-king-accepts-coaching-job-with-arizona-hotshots/article_1b5bb9e4-a1c7-5671-ae30-9092ce460f28.html |website=Greensboro News and Record |date=18 February 2019 |access-date=22 January 2021}} After the AAF folded in 2019, King was once again brought on as an intern for the Panthers, this time working with the running backs.{{cite web |title=Jennifer King steps in to coach Panthers running backs at Fan Fest |url=https://www.panthers.com/news/jennifer-king-steps-in-to-coach-panthers-running-backs-at-fan-fest |website=Carolina Panthers |access-date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=November 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114063421/https://www.panthers.com/news/jennifer-king-steps-in-to-coach-panthers-running-backs-at-fan-fest |url-status=dead }}

King was also named an offensive assistant at Dartmouth for the 2019 season. While there, she was awarded one of the three inaugural grants of the Scott Pioli & Family Fund for Women Football Coaches & Scouts, given to female football coaches and scouts to provide financial assistance.{{cite web |title=King Receives Inaugural Grant for Women Football Coaches and Scouts |url=https://dartmouthsports.com/news/2019/11/21/fb-king-receives-inaugural-grant-191121.aspx |website=Dartmouth College Athletics |access-date=22 January 2021}} She interned once more as a coach with the Washington Football Team in 2020, working once again under Rivera who joined Washington that season.{{cite web |title=Jennifer King, Rockingham County native with ties to Guilford and Greensboro colleges, draws interest from Washington Redskins |url=https://greensboro.com/sports/college/jennifer-king-rockingham-county-native-with-ties-to-guilford-and-greensboro-colleges-draws-interest-from/article_caa92a5e-0463-5200-990d-aafc6b5a7e40.html |website=Greensboro News and Record |date=9 February 2020 |access-date=22 January 2021}}{{cite web |title=Jennifer King Hired as NFL Coaching Intern |url=https://dartmouthsports.com/news/2020/2/10/football-jennifer-king-hired-as-nfl-coaching-intern-200210.aspx |website=Dartmouth College Athletics |access-date=22 January 2021}} She was promoted to assistant running backs coach the following year, making her the first black woman to become a full-time coach in NFL history.{{cite web |title=Washington's Jennifer King will be first Black woman to be full-time NFL coach |url=https://nypost.com/2021/01/22/washingtons-jennifer-king-will-be-first-black-woman-to-be-full-time-nfl-coach/ |website=New York Post |date=22 January 2021 |access-date=22 January 2021}}{{cite web |title=Washington Names Jennifer King As Assistant Running Backs Coach |url=https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/washington-names-jennifer-king-assistant-running-backs-coach |website=WashingtonFootball.com |access-date=January 26, 2021}} King served as the running backs coach for the West team in the 2022 East–West Shrine Bowl.{{cite web |last1=Selby |first1=Zach |title=Jennifer King makes history as running backs coach for West team in 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl |url=https://www.washingtonfootball.com/news/jennifer-king-makes-history-as-running-backs-coach-for-west-team-in-2022-east-we |website=WashingtonFootball.com |access-date=22 January 2022}} She was hired by the Chicago Bears as an offensive assistant in 2024, focusing on running backs.{{cite news|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=https://www.chicagobears.com/news/matt-eberflus-finalizes-bears-coaching-staff|title=Matt Eberflus finalizes Bears coaching staff|publisher=Chicago Bears|date=February 21, 2024|access-date=February 21, 2024}} King was not retained in 2025.{{cite web |last1=Chamberlain |first1=Gene |title=First Bears female coach among assistants no longer with the team |url=https://www.wcia.com/sports/sports-illustrated/arena-nfl/si-chicago-bears-nfl/255fdcd1/first-bears-female-coach-among-assistants-no-longer-with-the-team/ |website=WCIA |access-date=February 19, 2025 |date=January 31, 2025}}

Personal life

King has also worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and as a police officer in High Point, North Carolina.{{cite web |last1=Bryan |first1=Will |title=Jennifer King making waves as female coach |url=https://www.panthers.com/news/jennifer-king-making-waves-as-female-coach |website=Panthers.com |access-date=11 May 2021 |quote=I also took a part-time job with Delta as a flight attendant so I could fly for free |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925210433/https://www.panthers.com/news/jennifer-king-making-waves-as-female-coach |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Jennifer King has been a cop, a QB and a national champion. Next up: Redskins assistant coach. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/05/25/jennifer-king-redskins-assistant-coach-cop-qb-national-champion/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=22 January 2021}}{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Jennifer |title=Washington Football Team's Jennifer King on making history as first Black woman to be full-time NFL coach |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30998007/washington-football-team-jennifer-king-becoming-first-black-woman-full-nfl-coach |website=ESPN |date=4 March 2021 |access-date=4 March 2021}}