As the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant strength and conditioning coach, Maral Javadifar joined assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust as the first woman on a Super Bowl-winning coaching staff . Now Javadifar is taking on a new role with the Buccaneers that will help the team win even more championships.
On Monday, the Buccaneers announced that Javadifar had been promoted to the newly created position of director of rehabilitation and performance coach. Javadifar had spent three seasons in her previous role after joining the Buccaneers team in March 2019. She will now work with all team departments involved in the development and implementation of training methods and training programs. rehabilitation for players.
“We appreciate the diversity and inclusive culture that continues to thrive throughout our organization,” Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said. “The promotion of Maral is an example of what can be achieved when opportunities are available to all. She is extremely talented and will play a crucial role in the treatment of our players and their success on the pitch.”
In his new role, Javadifar will lead the rehabilitation of injured players and continue to focus on collaborative efforts to help Tampa Bay players maximize their performance. She has thrived on the Buccaneers football staff due to her ability to balance these activities and will now be able to have an even greater impact on player health and performance.
“I’m excited for this opportunity to improve our process focused on mitigating risk and increasing performance for our athletes,” Javadifar said. “I look forward to building on my experiences from the past three seasons as we work to provide our players with the most effective and efficient methods of maximizing their potential and improving their performance on the pitch.”
The Buccaneers seek success on the field by following an athlete-centered coaching model, with an integrated approach to training, medical and rehabilitation care, and preventative maintenance. Javadifar’s work will be an important part of these efforts, and she will be aided by her extensive experience in disciplines such as manual medicine, load management, physical assessments and motor learning.
“Maral has been an integral part of the care and development of our players since arriving here in 2019,” said general manager Jason Licht. “She is versatile in the areas of sports science and medicine and has achieved this promotion because of her excellent work and the trust we and our players place in her. Maral’s experience and performance skills on the field and rehabilitation are unique and provide us with many benefits as we continue to strengthen our group efforts to provide the best care, recovery and development for our players.”
Javadifar joined the Buccaneers staff shortly after Bruce Arians was hired as the 12th head coach in franchise history in 2019. Arians stepped down last month to take on a consulting role with of the team and Todd Bowles was promoted to head coach. As the team’s defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, Bowles has enjoyed Javadifar’s work up close.
“MJ has been an important member of our strength and conditioning team for the past three seasons, and I look forward to seeing her in this expanded role,” Bowles said. “She is a dedicated professional and a wonderful person who truly connects with the players. We are always looking for ways to refine and improve our sport science approach to the treatment of our players. The unique level of experience of MJ and his understanding of both medical and on-field performance will enable us to provide a seamless and comprehensive way to treat, rehabilitate and develop our players’ on-field performance.”