Jennifer King facts for kids
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King in 2021
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| Personal information | |
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| Born: | August 6, 1984 Eden, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Rockingham County (Wentworth, North Carolina) |
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| Career history | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Jennifer King, born on August 6, 1984, is a pioneering American football coach. She made history as the first Black woman to become an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL). King has coached for well-known NFL teams like the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, and Chicago Bears.
Before coaching in the NFL, King was a talented athlete herself. She played two sports in college at Guilford College. She also coached women's college basketball and played professional football for teams like the Carolina Phoenix, New York Sharks, and D.C. Divas in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA).
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Early Life and College Years
Jennifer King was born in Eden, North Carolina, on August 6, 1984. She grew up in Reidsville, North Carolina. For college, she attended Guilford College from 2002 to 2006. There, she was a standout athlete, playing both college basketball and softball. She earned a degree in sports management.
After college, King continued her football career. She played in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA) for several years. From 2006 to 2017, she played as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Carolina Phoenix. In 2018, she joined the New York Sharks as a defensive back and wide receiver. With the Sharks, she helped the team win the 2018 WFA Division II Championship. In 2019, she played as a safety for the D.C. Divas. Later, in the mid-2010s, she went back to school at Liberty University. She earned a Master of Science degree in sports management.
Coaching Career
Jennifer King has had an impressive coaching journey in both basketball and American football.
Coaching Basketball
| Playing career | |
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| Basketball | |
| 2002–2006 | Guilford |
| Softball | |
| 2002–2006 | Guilford |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2006–2016 | Greensboro (assistant) |
| 2016–2018 | Johnson & Wales |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 37–10 (.787) (college) |
| Tournaments | 3–0 (USCAA Division II) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 USCAA National (2018) | |
| Awards | |
| USCAA Women's Division II Coach of the Year (2018) | |
King started her coaching career in basketball. She was an assistant coach at Greensboro College from 2006 to 2016. During her time there, the team had a great record of 182 wins and 63 losses. They won 5 regular season championships and 2 conference tournament championships. They also made it to the NCAA tournament four times.
In 2016, King became the head coach for the women's basketball team at Johnson & Wales University in North Carolina. This program was very new, only two years old. However, King quickly turned it into a national champion team within just two seasons.
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
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| Johnson & Wales Wildcats (Eastern Metro Athletic Conference) (2016–2018) | |||||||||
| 2016–17 | Johnson & Wales | 15–6 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 2017–18 | Johnson & Wales | 22–4 | USCAA Division II National Champion | ||||||
| Johnson & Wales: | 37–10 (.787) | 2–0 (1.000) | |||||||
| Total: | 37–10 (.787) | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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Coaching American Football
Jennifer King's journey into NFL coaching began in 2018. She attended the NFL's Women's Forum, where she met Ron Rivera, who was then the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. King told him she was very interested in working in the NFL.
Later that year, the Panthers hired her as an intern. She helped coach their wide receivers. In 2018, she also got her first full-time football coaching job. She became an assistant wide receivers and special teams coach for the Arizona Hotshots in the Alliance of American Football (AAF). When the AAF league closed down in 2019, King returned to the Panthers as an intern, this time working with the running backs.
In 2019, King also became an offensive assistant at Dartmouth College. While there, she received a special grant from the Scott Pioli & Family Fund. This fund helps female football coaches and scouts with financial support.
In 2020, King interned again with the Washington Football Team. She worked under Coach Rivera, who had moved to Washington that season. The next year, she was promoted to assistant running backs coach. This promotion made her the first Black woman to become a full-time coach in NFL history. In 2022, King coached the West team's running backs in the 2022 East–West Shrine Bowl, which is a game for college football players hoping to join the NFL.
In 2024, the Chicago Bears hired King as an offensive assistant, where she focused on coaching running backs. She was not kept on the team for the 2025 season.
Personal Life
Outside of her coaching career, Jennifer King has had other interesting jobs. She has worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines. She also served as a police officer in High Point, North Carolina.
