HANOVER, N.H. (WHDH) - Callie Brownson made history when she became the first full-time female football coach at the Division I level.
Brownson was hired as Dartmouth College’s offensive quality control coach after interning with the team during the preseason.
Head coach Buddy Teevens noticed her talents and decided to have her officially join the team.
“I hired a great coach who happens to be a woman,” he said.
Brownson was drawn to the sport at a young age and played youth football with the boys.
As she got older, she noticed her presence was not always welcomed on the field.
“I tried again in high school as a freshman and was pretty much told no, that there wasn’t really a place for women in the program,” Brownson recalled.
She got another shot to get involved with the sport after high school.
“When I went to college, I heard about the women’s league,” Brownson said. “I looked them up immediately on YouTube and saw it and was just like, ‘oh my gosh, women are playing football and this is another chance for me.'”
She found that as she transitioned from player to coach, the challenges facing women in the sport industry remained the same.
“The biggest challenge there is being able to show your competitiveness and your knowledge and it’s hard for women to be able to say I do know my stuff, and I do work hard and I do belong here, so I think that’s the biggest challenge, ultimately, just entering the football world,” she explained.
Brownson won two national titles with the Women’s Football Alliance and two gold medals with that team.
She says the goal is to normalize having women on the sidelines.
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