A craving for donuts helped introduce Isabel Diaz to football in kindergarten. She quickly became more interested in the NFL than the sugary treat.
Diaz is currently in his third season with the Indianapolis Colts as a Harriet P. Irsay Scholar. She assists special teams coordinator Brian Mason and senior assistant special teams coach Joe Hastings with practices and game planning. The Colts are 8-2 and lead the AFC South heading into a big matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the 5-5 Kansas City Chiefs this week.
Diaz's journey began at her grandparents' home in suburban Dallas.
“My mom is a flight attendant, so I spent the weekends with my grandparents,” Diaz said. “And my grandpa used to sit at the kitchen table with the newspaper and donuts. And of course, donuts got me. And the next thing you know, I'm looking at the standings, looking at all the funny team names. And that's where my love really contributed. … And then she went on the couch, watched Fox NFL Sunday with the team. And I just fell in love. I loved it so much. And I loved that it was something that my grandpa and I shared together. I was begging. Grandma and Grandpa couldn't sleep during the Sunday game. My mom was invested in it, so it was a lot of fun.”
Diaz said her mother did not allow her to play tackle; Flag football wasn't as popular as it is now. So, she decided at an early age that she wanted to coach.
She played soccer in high school and earned a bachelor's degree in Sports and Coaching Science with a concentration in Sports Management from Oklahoma State. In college, she held various positions with the football team, including as a defensive assistant from 2021-23, where she assisted the scout team, created practice scripts, assisted with game planning and created game day schedules.
From 2019-2021, Diaz served as a videographer for the soccer and women's soccer programs. She filmed game days for both teams, as well as football practices.
“I kept asking for that next step, and eventually, by my senior year, I got a seat at the table,” Diaz said. “My desk was literally behind the defense headquarters table in the defense headquarters conference room. And that's just because I asked questions. I wasn't afraid to speak up for myself because you're your own advocate. Obviously, you're going to get people to support you, but they have to believe that you can do it and believe that you really, really want to do it and be here for the right reasons.
“I love this game just like everyone else. And that's why I'm here, because I love the game and I love everything that it stands for and what it's all about, and it's a team sport and we all do it together. And to see the success that we're having right now, I've seen it grow and I've seen us find that culture and that rhythm, and here we are, like we're winning games. We're doing a great job. That's why we're here. Whether you're a woman, a man, wherever you're from. neither came, we all do this together.”
NFL officials often say that expanding opportunities for women and minorities is a priority. The league's annual women's forum, held at the Scouting Complex in Indianapolis, is a major initiative.
Over the past five years, the number of women working in football and coaching positions has increased by 289%. This season, there are a total of 358 women working in football operations and coaching positions. Diaz is one of 11 full-time female coaches.
She participated in the forum several times. It was held via Zoom in 2022, when she received the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the Washington Commanders under former coach Ron Rivera.
“He really preached about the value of having different voices and experiences and opinions in the same room,” Diaz said. “They asked my opinion. They kept me involved in projects. In some ways I was just as involved as a quality control coach, certainly smaller roles and opportunities, but I was very involved and I got to get some really great experience and get my feet wet.”
Diaz was still in college when she spent the offseason and training camp in Washington. She met Colts owner Carly Irsay-Gordon at the Women's Forum in 2023, and the Colts ended up offering her the first Harriet P. Irsay Scholarship.
“It was just one of those moments where I thought, wow, I'm actually doing this,” Diaz said of getting the call while sitting in class. “I'm 22 years old, coming out of college and coaching in the NFL. And to hear about the Irsay family and how much it meant to them and it was all about finding the right candidate, this organization, it's incredible. It means so much to be a part of it.”
“It means even more now that I have Carly and her sisters as our owners and our stewards. Words cannot express how grateful I am and how much this organization means to me.”
