Cardinals hailed for hiring NFL's first female coach

July 28 (Reuters) - The Arizona Cardinals were being hailed as groundbreakers on Tuesday after hiring the National Football League's first female coach. The Cardinals on Monday hired Jen Welter, a 37-year-old former pro football player, to be a coaching intern during training camp this year, working with inside linebackers. Football fans took to Twitter to express their sentiments about Welter's hiring. "#NFLTrainingCamp hasn't even started and the @AZCardinals are already winning," The Dude (@Calicardsfan) said. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said the internship would be a great opportunity that could "open some doors" for Welter. "Coaching is nothing more than teaching," Arians said in a statement after the team announced Welter's hiring on Monday. "One thing I have learned from players is, 'How are you going to make me better? If you can make me better, I don't care if you're the Green Hornet, man, I'll listen.'" Welter, who has a Ph.D. in psychology, joins the Cardinals' staff after playing for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League. She became the first female non-kicker to play in a men's pro league when she took the field as a running back for the Revolution in 2014. "Thank you @AZCardinals & @BruceArians & everyone here in #Phoenix," Welter tweeted. "I am honored to join this amazing #footballfamily." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello responded with a tweet, "Welcome. We are honored too." Welter won two gold medals playing for Team USA in the International Federation of American Football Women's World Championship in 2010 and 2013. "S/O (shout out) to @jwelter47....Welcome to AZ coach," tweeted Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter. Last year, the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs made Becky Hammon, a former WNBA All-Star, an assistant head coach of the team. She recently led the Spurs to the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League title. "First Becky Hammon became the first full-time female NBA coach. Now @jwelter47 becomes the first female coach in the NFL! Congrats!," football fan Michael Pelfrey (@mcpelfrey) said in a tweet. (Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott)