Bruce Arians: Female assistants are “where it should be heading”

[Captain Fear]

Bruce Arians doesn’t want to get credit for hiring female football coaches. He just wants good football coaches.

Via Frank Pastor of the Tampa Bay Times, the new Buccaneers coach downplayed his recent hiring of two female assistants — assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust and assistant strength and conditioning coach Maral Javadifar.

“That’s where it should be heading,“ Arians said. “Two super-qualified people for what we need. The fact that their gender’s different, who gives a s—? They’re good coaches.”

Arians had previously hired Jen Welter in Arizona as a coaching intern, and said that her teaching style stood out to players. He also drew a straight line from some of his favorite teachers to what he’s doing now.

“Football [coaches], we’re glorified schoolteachers,” he said. “You could know all of the football in the world, but if you can’t teach it . . . so, why not take a great teacher of any gender and let them help your players? . . .

“Someone asked me, ‘Can women coach?. Hell, yeah. I’ve even seen it. It’s just getting opportunities.”

And Arians is willing to give them those opportunities, while hoping it won’t be such big news soon.