Washington Football Team makes history with diverse coaching, management staff

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - The Washington Football Team is the first NFL team to have minorities as head coach, Ron Rivera, president, Jason Wright, and now general manager with the addition of Martin Mayhew announced Friday.

However, they are also making history with the hiring of a Black woman for the role of full-time assistant coach, Jennifer King.

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King comes to Washington having coached in the National Football League, the Alliance of American Football and in the college ranks.

She most recently was an offensive assistant with Dartmouth College.

"Jennifer is a bright young coach and will be a great addition to our staff," said Head Coach Ron Rivera. "Her familiarity with my expectations as a coach and my firsthand knowledge of her work ethic and preparation were big factors in bringing her to [Washington]"

Mayhew joins Washington after four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Before that, he spent a year with the New York Giants and was GM of the Detroit Lions for seven-plus seasons.

"Martin is a proven general manager who will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization," Rivera said. "He will be an integral part of running the daily football operations and will allow me the opportunity to focus more on coaching."

Wright spent seven years as a running back in the NFL with stops in San Francisco, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Arizona, where he was the Cardinals' team captain and labor-union representative during the league's 2011 lockout. He was hired by the WFT in 2020.

"Because he knows the NFL firsthand and how fast it moves, I am excited to have him on board to head up the front office and operations, so that I can focus on what's most important to the fans in our community – winning football games," Rivera said.