Arizona Cardinals Hire Jen Welter, NFL's First-Ever Female Coach

A photo posted by @nfl on Jul 27, 2015 at 6:53pm PDT

The NFL has hired their first-ever female coach. Jen Welter will be a training camp and pre-season assistant coaching intern, working with inside linebackers, for the Arizona Cardinals.

Welter has been breaking down barriers in football for years. She played with the U.S. women's football team and won two gold medals at the world championships. Last season, she was the first female non-kicker to play in a professional men's game when she played running back for the Texas Revolution.

Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was asked in March about when there would be a female coach. "The minute they can prove they can make a player better, they'll be hired," Arians replied. Arians seems to have faith in Welter, believing that she'll have the opportunity to learn and help the team.

"Coaching is nothing more than teaching," Arians said. "One thing I have learned from players is 'How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet, I'll listen.'"

The NFL had another first for women this year. In April, they announced that Sarah Thomas will be the first full-time female official in the NFL. Thomas worked her way up from high school football. She was the first female official in a Big Ten stadium and the first female official at a college bowl game.

Other leagues are also looking towards more female officials and coaches. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said recently that he'd like to see female coaches in his league. He referred to San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon as a "pioneer" and said that he is "enormously proud of her." But over in the MLB, a league official told The Huffington Post that he estimates it'll be at least six years until a female umpire makes it into the big leagues.

For now, though, Welter is making moves, and even Vice President Joe Biden congratulated her.

Breaking barriers and reaching new heights. Congratulations to Jen Welter. This is what progress looks like. https://t.co/A6pT0RFXFL — Vice President Biden (@VP) July 28, 2015