The Kansas City Comets made history on Tuesday, announcing that Kansas City Current defender Jenna Winebrenner as the first female coach in Major Arena Soccer League history.

Winebrenner, 23, will be an assistant to head coach Leo Gibson.

“We are so fortunate to add Jenna to our coaching staff,” Gibson said in a statement. “Her understanding of the indoor game has already been a welcome addition to the players daily preparation.”

The Comets kick off their season at the St. Louis Ambush on Friday.

The Current selected Winebrenner in the fourth round of the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League draft. She started in six matches and made 11 appearances as the team reached the 2022 Championship match.

“We are honored to have Jenna Winebrenner join the coaching staff of the Kansas City Comets,” MASL commissioner Keith Tozer said in a statement. “Her professional experience and passion for the game will be an asset behind the bench. As the first female coach in the Major Arena Soccer League, we know she will be an inspiration to the next generation of soccer players, coaches and sports professionals watching our games.”

The Comets fans’ first opportunity to see Winebrenner on the bench for the Comet will come on Saturday when Kansas City hosts St. Louis at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Mo.

“Being from Kansas City, I’ve grown up watching the Comets and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the organization,” Winebrenner said in a statement. “Excited to get started with the team!”

Winebrenner graduated from Park Hill High School, which posted a 65-17-5 record during her first three years. The 2014 and 2015 seasons saw her named conference defender of the year with 2016 bringing the player of the year award.

She spent the first three years of her college career with Notre Dame, which amassed 22 shutouts during that span. The defender played 55 games for Notre Dame before transferring to Texas Christian University for her senior season. She was one of seven players to start every game for the Horned Frogs.

Winebrenner recorded three assists, as all three led to game-winning goals. She played the full 90 minutes in 18 of her 24 games including every minute of TCU’s Big 12 Tournament run on her way to being named the 2021 Big 12 tournament defensive player of the year and first team All-Big 12.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.