Women are rising up the ranks throughout professional football, earning positions of power in a space that for too long was ruled almost exclusively by men. We're seeing more and more women breaking barriers in the sport, but what are the stories beyond the headlines? Who are the women shaping and influencing the NFL today? Answering those questions is the aim of the Next Woman Up series. While the conversational Q&As are edited and condensed for clarity, this is a forum for impactful women to share experiences in their own words. Without further ado, we introduce:
Steph DeAngelis, Philadelphia Eagles
Position: Facility Operations Coordinator
How did you get your start in a career in football?
I got my degree in sports management at Syracuse University. While I was there, I worked for Learfield IMG, working through some of their sponsorship activations, and that was for all sporting events in Syracuse. That was my first taste working in football and seeing the behind the scenes of it all. Then, in my senior year, I accepted the ticket and fan services internship with the Eagles to complete my capstone. That internship was four months long, working on the ticketing side of customer service. After that, I accepted a year-long ticket office associate position, where I developed my skills further from what I had learned the previous four months. I dove deep into not only football ticketing but also with special events and concerts. It was a really cool side of the industry to see. I then applied for the open facility operations coordinator position in May 2024 and I was lucky enough to get it.
Your internship in ticket and fan services is much different than facility operations. Was that a jump you were looking to make?
No, it wasn't. It was an opportunity that I felt like I couldn't resist. I have lived in Philadelphia my whole life -- besides college -- so I grew up an Eagles fan. Getting to work for your hometown team is always a dream. I knew I wanted to stay in football, and obviously it would be even better if I could stay with the Eagles. I took it to see what I could learn, and I've ended up loving it.
So, as a facility operations coordinator, what does your role entail?
Right now, a lot of the day-to-day stuff is working through purchase orders and invoicing. As we get closer to the season, prior to all of our special events, we do a lot of walkthroughs of the stadium. We are constantly walking the stadium looking for any maintenance or repairs that we need to do before game day. We do walkthroughs on game day, as well, to make sure everything is set up, safe and presentable for our fans before the gates open. Recently, I took on a smaller renovation project at the stadium, for which I am getting a budget number then working closely with our contractors and our in-house union workers to make that project come to life.
What does game day look like for you?
I get there about five or six hours before the gates open, so that's when we do that initial walkthrough looking for maintenance and repairs. Then we have two people in our command posts every game, so the people there are fielding calls of people who are working around the stadium and relaying those messages to our union workers to make sure everything is good to go. As we get closer to kickoff, we help with the prop set-up on the field for the players to run out of the tunnel. That's kind of our big task before they take the field, then we do get to enjoy most of the game, barring any issues. After the game, we do another walkthrough to find any sort of damage that we should take care of before leaving for the night.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
It definitely was the transition from the ticket office to facility operations because there was a learning curve for me. I had to become comfortable asking a lot of questions being in an environment that was brand new to me. That was also one of the more exciting parts, knowing I'm probably going to learn something new from the people around me every day I come to work.
You're still early in your career, but what other goals do you have for it?
Having been in the position for two years now, I really am just excited to continue to develop the skills I've been learning. I mentioned working on one of the smaller renovation projects, and using that as an opportunity to build experience and gain some hands-on knowledge to see where I can go in the field.
Now, let's turn to mentorship. Do you have any mentors, and what advice have you received from them?
My parents have always been strong mentors for me. They always made it a point to make sure I believe in myself, and that's how I kind of got the confidence to get to where I am today. Believing in myself has been so important to my career. On top of that, the whole facility operations department has mentored me since the day I was hired. Everyone is willing to teach me, answer any questions I have and share their knowledge. That's played a major role in my growth and success over the last two years.
And what advice do you have for other women looking to get into a career in this space?
Go for it. Don't limit yourself. I think there's so many different departments and opportunities within football that some people don't even realize. So, if you are passionate about it and confident in your abilities and have a willingness to learn and work hard, there's a place for you in football.
What have you learned about yourself over the last few years with the Eagles?
I think I've learned that hard work goes a long way. Coming into a role that I didn't have much experience in, I realized I needed to prove myself among people who I recognized and who have been in this space for a long time. They put in so much effort, and I realized I also had that work ethic inside of myself. And if the people around you see you putting in that effort, it's a lot easier to transition and succeed.
And lastly, what are you most proud of?
I think it's hard to not say winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago. That being my first year and getting to be a small part of it behind the scenes, I'll always be proud of that and cherish it forever -- especially with it being with my hometown team.
