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Colts Coach Breaking Barriers, Named as Coordinator for East-West Shrine Bowl

The Indianapolis Colts have some unique representation in this year's East-West Shrine Bowl.
Sean Ackerman|
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; An Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on an equipment case during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; An Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on an equipment case during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

For the past three years, the Indianapolis Colts have opened applications for the Harriet P. Irsay Fellowship, a program that grants women in sports the opportunity to be a part of the football/coaching operations in Indianapolis.

The Colts have selected Isabel Diaz as one of those fellows for the past three seasons, and this year, she earned an extra duty.

Diaz was selected as the special teams coordinator for the NCAA's East-West Shrine Bowl. Diaz was the only woman named as a coordinator or coach for the 2026 edition.

With the Colts, Diaz assists special teams coordinator Brian Mason and assistant special teams coach Joe Hastings with practice and game planning. Diaz met Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon at the NFL Women's Forum in 2023, and she's been involved in the organization ever since.

Diaz is one of 11 women with a full-time coaching job in the NFL.

"I love the game just like anybody else," Diaz said in a November interview with the Associated Press. "And that’s why I’m here, because I love the game and I love everything that it stands for and what it is, and it’s a team sport and we’re all doing it together."

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Diaz graduated from Oklahoma State University, where she spent time as an undergraduate defensive assistant.

"My desk was literally at the defensive staff table in the defensive staff meeting room. And that’s just because I asked questions. I wasn’t afraid to speak up for myself because you’re the only advocate for yourself."

The East-West Shrine Bowl will mark the first time Diaz has a coordinator at the professional or collegiate level.

"The East-West Shrine Bowl is not only a showcase for tremendous athletes who have a dream of playing at the next level, it is also a venue for upwardly mobile coaches in the NFL," NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said. "This is an opportunity to further develop, evaluate, and showcase our assistant coaches who may be our next generation of head coaches."

Diaz's special teams unit will be aired on national television on Friday, January 27. Her continued success as a trailblazer for women in the NFL is truly inspirational. She’s not there as a novelty or a headline — she’s there because she’s qualified, trusted, and putting in the work every day alongside veteran coaches.

In a league that’s slowly evolving, Isabel Diaz stands as proof that football is better when more voices and perspectives are a part of the room.

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Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Sean Ackerman is the co-Deputy Editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. Ackerman, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, majored in broadcasting. He's in his third year covering the NFL.

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