Indianapolis Colts special teams assistant Izzy Diaz is building her coaching career with an eye on the NFL’s top job. The inaugural Harriet P. Irsay Fellow, now in her fourth season with the club, handles a wide range of preparation and game-day duties while working toward her long-term goal of becoming an NFL head coach.
From Sunday football with her grandfather to the Colts
Diaz said her connection to football began during childhood weekends with her grandparents. Her grandfather, Ray Hopkins, would follow the standings in the newspaper on Sunday mornings, and Diaz soon became a regular viewer of FOX NFL Sunday and prime-time games. Her mother, Tracy Hopkins, works as a flight attendant.
At roughly 9 years old, Diaz wanted to play football. When that was not an option, she decided coaching would be her path instead. She joined her high school football program as a videographer, attended game-planning sessions after urging the coaching staff to let her participate, and balanced those responsibilities with being a cheerleader.
- High school coach Brian Brazil encouraged Diaz to pursue coaching and told her she could become a trailblazer in the profession.
- She also received support from Jeff Hill and other members of the high school staff.
- During an Oklahoma State visit to her school’s spring practices, Diaz introduced herself to then-defensive backs coach Dan Hammerschmidt and told him she hoped to one day hold a similar position.
Diaz enrolled at Oklahoma State in its sport and coaching science program. She spent her first two seasons filming practices and games before moving into a defensive student-assistant role with the defensive backs during the spring of her sophomore year.
She later worked as a defensive assistant under Mike Gundy and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Former Oklahoma State video coordinator Zack Ramsey helped her develop, while Bradley Thomas exposed her to both offensive and defensive concepts. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Derek Mason pushed her to take on practice responsibilities that initially felt daunting, experiences Diaz said helped prepare her for the pressure and disorder that can arise in an NFL setting.
Women’s Forum opened route to NFL opportunity
Diaz participated in the NFL Women’s Forum remotely and received an opportunity from Ron Rivera to intern with the Washington Commanders. She worked through OTAs and training camp in the summer of 2022, gaining her first NFL experience.
When she returned to the forum the following spring, Diaz met Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and then-director of football research John Park. They encouraged her to seek a place in the Tony Dungy Fellowship Program. As she pursued that opening, Indianapolis established the Harriet P. Irsay Fellowship and chose Diaz as its first recipient.
Diaz credited Irsay-Gordon, Colts head coach Shane Steichen, special teams coordinator Brian Mason and senior special teams assistant Joe Hastings for their support. She also pointed to Colts ownership leaders Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson as important examples for women working in football.
Special teams responsibilities reach from scouting to the sideline
In Indianapolis, Diaz works alongside Mason and Hastings, with an emphasis on keeping the special teams operation organized and ready for each opponent. Her responsibilities cover practice planning, personnel preparation, scouting and film work.
- She prepares practice scripts and depth charts.
- She runs look teams during practice and assists the Colts’ gunners and returners.
- Her work includes opponent illustrations, advance scouting reports, film breakdown and game-plan input.
- On game days, she is responsible for confirming that Indianapolis has the correct number of players on the field.
- She also charts special teams details during games.
Diaz recalled a moment two years ago when she heard a warning from above that the Colts had 12 players on the field. She feared a penalty, only to realize Indianapolis actually had 10 players in the formation. The experience underscored the importance of handling every roster and alignment detail in the kicking game.
The volume of special teams units makes organization one of her most demanding challenges. Diaz said the staff must prioritize tasks and stay ahead of the schedule, including breaking down the first four or five opponents before training camp concludes.
Roster value and a coaching ambition
Diaz views special teams as the link between offense and defense, a phase that can shape field position, create scoring chances through returns, and prevent opponents from generating points. Field goals, extra points and hidden yardage can decide games that come down to only a few points.
She also believes special teams play can determine whether a player makes a 53-man roster. Diaz served as special teams coordinator for the East team at the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl, where she worked with East head coach Marquice Williams, the Las Vegas Raiders’ senior special teams assistant.
Williams stressed that players must offer more than a single-position label, Diaz said. A running back or wide receiver who contributes in the kicking game can strengthen his roster case and extend his career, particularly when he sits third or fourth on the depth chart. Diaz said she especially enjoys seeing core special teamers earn expanded roles on offense or defense.
The Shrine Bowl assignment gave Diaz added confidence in her ability to lead. She said daily exposure to Mason’s game-planning and depth-chart process helped her understand the work required, but the all-star event required her to execute it herself. She is continuing to develop her voice with players and form her own special teams philosophy.
Diaz said Irsay-Gordon has offered an important standard on mistakes: errors will happen, but they cannot become recurring ones. Diaz has carried that approach through a career in which she has consistently trusted that coaching was possible, even while learning to advocate for herself.
Her advice to women seeking coaching roles is direct:
- Speak up and pursue opportunities rather than waiting for them to arrive.
- Get involved early in college, even if the first opening is outside a preferred specialty.
- Learn every available part of the operation and absorb information from experienced coaches.
- Maintain confidence, a lesson Diaz said her mother taught her.
Diaz’s immediate targets are to become a full-time special teams assistant, then advance to special teams coordinator or assistant head coach. Her ultimate objective remains unchanged: becoming an NFL head coach.
Before games, Diaz walks two miles around the field while listening to Beyoncé’s Renaissance, a ritual she began during her junior year at Oklahoma State. She said those walks give her time to reflect on reaching the professional game, with her mother attending most games and her grandfather having attended some as well.
Diaz hopes her path helps create wider opportunities for women in NFL coaching. Her aim, she said, is for the league to reach a point where women entering those roles are no longer viewed as historic firsts.
