Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals coach Jen Welter on when women will coach in NFL: 'Getting closer all the time'
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals coach Jen Welter on when women will coach in NFL: 'Getting closer all the time'

Published Jul. 28, 2015 6:00 p.m. ET

The Arizona Cardinals added Jen Welter as the NFL's first female coach on Tuesday.

While Welter was hired as an intern, she said on "America's Pregame" that full-time NFL coaching opportunities could be given to women sooner than you think.

"It's getting closer all the time," Welter said. "I couldn't put a timeline on it because I couldn't predict this would happen. But life changes very fast when we show it's possible.

"It's not that women haven't been capable, it's that they haven't had that stage."

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Be sure to watch Mike Hill's interview of Welter in the video above. 

Even Ronda Rousey took time out to chime in on Welter during a Tuesday apperance on APG:

Welter coached linebackers and special teams for the Indoor Football League's Texas Revolution last season, becoming the first woman to coach in a men's pro football league. Her general manager with the Revolution was 2015 NFL Hall of Fame inductee Tim Brown.

Welter played linebacker for more than 14 seasons in the Women's Football Alliance, mostly with the Dallas Diamonds, where she helped the team win four championships. Welter holds a master's degree in sports psychology. A rugby player at Boston College, she also earned two gold medals on Team USA at the International Federation of Football Women's World Championships in 2009 and 2013.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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