The Washington Football Team made another historic hire on Wednesday when the team announced it had hired Natalia Dorantes as the coordinator of football programs.
Dorantes will report directly to head coach Ron Rivera and work with the coaching staff and the front office in a chief-of-staff role.
Dorantes originally connected with Rivera in February when she messaged him during the annual NFL’s annual women’s forum to introduce herself and thank him for his support of women in the NFL.
The 26-year-old worked with Texas A&M before coming to Washington as a director of recruiting. Rivera said he spoke with Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and NFL senior director Sam Rapaport before hiring Dorantes.
“This is kind of new ground for us because I’ve never had a ‘chief of staff,'” Rivera said, per Washington’s official website. “So I needed a person that’s gonna be able to interact with coaches, with coordinators and may have to say, quite honestly, ‘No, I don’t think Coach wants that,’ or ‘No, Coach doesn’t want that,’ you know what I mean?”
Before going to Texas A&M, Dorantes worked for the NFL.
Dorantes is the first Latina in NFL history to serve in this capacity. In her new role, she will handle several roles from scheduling practices to personnel meetings, among other things.
We've hired Natalia Dorantes as Coordinator of Football Programs.
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— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) April 7, 2021