Bucs make history with hiring of female assistants Locust, Javadifar

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar on Wednesday, becoming the first NFL team to employ two full-time female coaches.

Locust will be joining the team as an assistant defensive line coach while Javadifar will be the assistant strength and conditioning coach.

"I know how hard it can be to get that first opportunity to coach at the highest level of professional football," said Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians in a statement. "Sometimes, all you need is the right organization to offer up the opportunity. The Glazer family and our general manager, Jason Licht, were extremely supportive of my decision, and I know Maral and Lori will be great additions to my coaching staff.

"I have known Lori going back to my days at Temple University and I've seen firsthand just how knowledgeable and passionate she is about this game. I was equally impressed with Maral's background in performance training and physical therapy and I know she will be a valuable asset to our strength and conditioning program."

Locust most recently served as the defensive line coach for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football. Last year, she spent time with the Baltimore Ravens as a defensive coaching intern. She began her coaching career after playing for four years in a women's semi-professional league.

Javadifar last worked as a physical therapist. She also played basketball at Pace University in New York.

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