Autumn Lockwood has etched her name in NFL history as the first Black woman coach to win a Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles associate performance coach reached the milestone during the team’s 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Lockwood had already broken barriers in 2023 as the first Black woman to coach in a Super Bowl when the Eagles fell short in Super Bowl LVII.
Now, with a championship ring to her name, she continues to be a trailblazer in a league where only one percent of coaching jobs are held by women.
Specializing in strength and conditioning, Lockwood’s path to the NFL began with an internship at the Atlanta Falcons in 2019. She later served as the director of sports performance at the University of Houston and as assistant director of basketball sports performance at East Tennessee State.
Lockwood is one of only two Black women currently coaching in the NFL, alongside Jennifer King of the Chicago Bears, who was the first Black woman to hold a full-time assistant coaching position.
While women now hold 15 full-time assistant coach roles in the league—a 47% increase since 2021—there are still no female head coaches or coordinators.
With a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Arizona and a master’s in sports management from East Tennessee State, Lockwood is steadily rising through the ranks.
As the NFL grapples with ongoing diversity and inclusion challenges, she continues to open doors for future generations of minority women in coaching.
