HEAD COACH CALLIE BROWNSON SELECTS COACHING STAFF FOR 2022 U.S. WOMEN'S TACKLE NATIONAL TEAM

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Football, the sport’s national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, today announced that CALLIE BROWNSON, the head coach of the 2022 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team, has selected her staff of seven assistant coaches. Brownson also serves as the chief of staff for head coach Kevin Stefanski of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.

The U.S. Women’s National Team staff possesses more than 90 years of football coaching and playing experience with careers spanning U.S. National Teams, NFL clubs, women’s professional football leagues, and college and high school programs.

2022 U.S. Women’s Tackle Football National Team Coaching Staff:

        Name; U.S. National Team Coaching Position; Resides

• Callie Brownson; Head Coach; Cleveland, Ohio
• Jim Farrell; Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks; Palatine, Ill.
• Stephanie Balochko; Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers; Cleveland, Ohio
• Jeff Grybash; Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant DBs; Buffalo Grove, Ill.
• Fabien Bownes; Wide Receivers; Plainfield, Ill.
• Odessa Jenkins; Running Backs; Rowlett, Texas
• Becky Worsham; Offensive Line; Centreville, Va.
• John Johnson; Defensive Line; Framingham, Mass.

The eight qualifying national teams that will compete at the 2022 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Women’s Tackle World Championship in Vantaa, Finland from July 27-Aug. 8 are:

• Australia
• Finland
• Great Britain
• Sweden
• Canada
• Germany
• Mexico
• United States

The Americans have earned gold medals in the previous three IFAF Women’s Tackle World Championships in 2010 (Sweden), 2013 (Finland), and 2017 (British Columbia, Canada).

The U.S. coaches will assemble and lead a U.S. Women’s National Team of 45 players to be selected in April. Player tryouts will be conducted at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., from March 11-13. Athletes may pursue a roster spot by registering at usafootball.com/womens-tackle-team.

USA Football will operate the team’s training camp in July at a location to be announced in the coming weeks.

“These are exceptional coaches, teachers, and strategists – all of whom bring dynamic and diverse talents to forge a strong fit as a staff,” said Brownson, who played on the 2013 and 2017 gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s teams. “Representing the United States is special and every team we face will be up for us. That’s the challenge we want, and this staff will have our players ready to meet it. I’m excited to get to work, build our team, and play our best in Finland.”

“Coach Brownson has assembled a staff custom-built to prepare our U.S. Women’s National Team for the world’s best competition this July,” said USA Football Managing Director of High Performance and National Teams ERIC MAYES. “The women and men who comprise this staff – with experiences spanning high school to NFL levels – epitomizes our U.S. National Team program, representing the diverse soul of our sport and the unifying passion it inspires.”

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach JIM FARRELL coached high school football for 18 years at Elk Grove (Ill.) High School and Buffalo Grove (Ill.) High School. Farrell was the head coach of the gold medal-winning 2017 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team, for which Brownson played as a safety.  

Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach STEPHANIE BALOCHKO is a firefighter and paramedic for the city of Bedford, Ohio, who began playing women’s professional football in 2001. A Pittsburgh Steelers training camp coaching intern from 2016-18, Balochko was the gold medal-winning 2017 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team’s defensive coordinator.

Special teams coordinator and assistant defensive backs coach JEFF GRYBASH, has coached football and numerous other sports throughout his 18-year high school teaching career in the Chicagoland area. Grybash was a member of the 2017 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team’s coaching staff that earned gold at the IFAF Women’s World Championship in British Columbia, Canada.

Wide receivers coach FABIEN BOWNES played receiver for the NFL’s Chicago Bears (1995-1998) and Seattle Seahawks (1999-2001). He also is a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100-meter dash. The Aurora, Ill. native served as an assistant coach on the 2017 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team under head coach Jim Farrell (2022 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach).

Running backs coach ODESSA JENKINS, co-founder and CEO of the Women's National Football Conference (WNFC), was a coaching intern with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 and currently coaches the Texas Elite Women’s Football team. As a player, Jenkins won national titles in the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) and Women's Football Alliance (WFA). She was a running back and captain for the gold medal-winning 2013 and 2017 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Teams.

Offensive line coach BECKY WORSHAM played along the offensive line for the (Washington) D.C. Divas in the Women’s Football Alliance from 2008 to 2018. The Centreville, Va. resident is a George Mason University (Fairfax, Va.) graduate. She works as an elementary school physical education teacher and as a varsity offensive line coach at West Springfield (Va.) High School. Worsham won IFAF World Championships with the U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team in 2013 and 2017.

Defensive line coach JOHN JOHNSON has coached the Boston Renegades of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA) since 2016. He has led the team to three consecutive WFA National Championships. Johnson formerly served as defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator with the Boston Bandits, a semi-professional football team that won four New England Football League (NEFL) Championships during his tenure. Johnson also was the defensive coordinator and head coach of the New England Intensity in the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) from 2010 to 2013.

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