Who is Lori Locust? All you need to know about Titans' first full-time female coach

Lori Locust has been a trailblazer everywhere she has gone, and it is no different with the Tennessee Titans. She became the first full-time female coach in history as she recently joined the organization as a defensive quality control coach. It is no mean feat to cut your teeth in coaching in the NFL, because unlike many other sports, there is no female participation in this game.

What she has successfully achieved is a testament to her fortitude.

Lori Locust: the story so far

Lori Locust's senior football journey started at Central PA Vipers, a women's football team. Before that, she attended the University of Temple. She met her future husband, who played for Temple's football team, and they have two children, although the couple has since divorced.

However, an injury while with the Vipers cut her career short and she went into coaching with them from 2008 to 2012. Due to her abilities there, she got a high school job Susquehanna Township from 2009 to 2018. In between, she was also the defensive coach for various indoor football teams.

That gave her the opportunity to train as a defensive line coaching intern with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. She joined the Alliance of American Football and was an assistant defensive line coach there. It was from there that she got the first permanent job in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an assistant defensive line coach.

Her impact was immediate. In 2019, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the team with the league's best run defense, allowing just 73.8 rushing yards per game and 3.26 yards per rush.

Working with defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, they went one further the next year as they won Super Bowl LV. Much of the credit for that goes to Tom Brady, but the defense was instrumental in shutting down Aaron Rodgers in the NFC championship game and then Patrick Mahomes in the final game.

Her ability to shine in the NFL in just three seasons has seen her get this latest opportunity. Her playing and coaching career has all been to do with defensive linemen, but the Tennessee Titans announced that she will be working with the outside linebackers.

Given her ability to adapt across her career, this challenge should not be beyond her. As the NFL moves even more towards giving people chances based on merit irrespective of identity, seeing the first female head coach might not be outside the realm of possibility. When that happens, Lori Locust could proudly lead the way then as well.