As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' assistant strength & conditioning coach/physical therapist in 2020, Maral Javadifar joined Assistant Defensive Line Coach Lori Locust as the first women on a Super Bowl-winning coaching staff. Now Javadifar is taking on a new role with the Buccaneers that will help the team chase even more championships.
On Monday, the Buccaneers announced that Javadifar has been promoted to the newly-created position of Director of Rehabilitation and Performance Coach. Javadifar had spent three seasons in her previous role after first joining the Buccaneers' staff in March of 2019. She will now work with all of the team's departments that are involved in developing and implementing training methods and rehabilitation regimens for the players.
"We value diversity and the inclusive culture that continues to thrive throughout our organization," said Buccaneers Co-Owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz. "Maral's promotion is an example of what can be accomplished when opportunities are available to all. She is immensely talented and will play a crucial role in the treatment of our players and their on-field success."
In her new role Javadifar will lead the rehabilitation of injured players and continue to focus on the collaborative efforts to help Tampa Bay players maximize their performance. She has thrived on the Buccaneers' football staff due to her skill in balancing those pursuits and will now be in a position to have even more of an impact on the players' health and performance.
"I am excited for this opportunity to enhance our process focused on mitigating risk and increasing performance for our athletes," said Javadifar. "I look forward to drawing upon my experiences from the past three seasons as we work to provide our players with the most efficient and effective methods for maximizing their potential and improving their on-field performance."
The Buccaneers seek success on the field by following an athlete-centered training model, featuring an integrated approach to training, medical and rehabilitative care, and preventative maintenance. Javadifar's work will be a major part of those efforts, and she will be aided by her broad background in such disciplines as manual medicine, load management, physical assessments and motor learning.
"Maral has been integral to the care and development of our players since she arrived here in 2019," said General Manager Jason Licht. "She is multi-talented in the areas of sports science and medicine and earned this promotion through her excellent work and the confidence we, and our players, have in her. Maral's experience and skillset in both on-field performance and rehabilitation is unique and offers us many advantages as we continue enhancing our group effort to provide the best care, recovery, and development of our players."
Javadifar joined the Buccaneers' staff shortly after Bruce Arians was hired as the 12th head coach in franchise history in 2019. Last month, Arians stepped aside to take on a consulting role with the team and Todd Bowles was promoted to head coach. As the team's defensive coordinator the past three seasons, Bowles has appreciated Javadifar's work from up close.
"MJ has been an important member of our strength and conditioning staff these past three seasons, and I am looking forward to seeing her in this expanded role," said Bowles. "She is a dedicated professional and a great person who really connects with the players. We are always looking for ways to refine and improve our sports science approach to treatment for our players. MJ's unique experience level and understanding of both the medical and on-field performance will allow us to provide a seamless and comprehensive way of treating, rehabilitating, and developing the on-field performance of our players."
