She’s ‘Coach D’ to Cleveland Players

Lydia Dubuisson is in her second season as Cleveland’s linebackers coach. Dubuisson, 29, did not play while growing up in Texas but studied the game while serving as a student equipment manager at Texas A&M; in the early 1990s.

Dubuisson said she developed a love for coaching football after working with current and former college coaches Bob Davie, Tommy Tuberville and Phil Bennett. Cleveland Coach Craig Cieslik and Dubuisson met at a Los Angeles Xtreme game, during which she was working the sideline phones.

“It’s been an endless pursuit of staying on the sidelines,” she said. “Craig said he was going to take the [Cleveland] job and he needed some help pretty bad.”

One of only a few women who coach high school football, Dubuisson -- Coach D to her players -- said she gets more double-takes from officials than opposing coaches or players.

“Sometimes they think I’m the trainer or the water girl,” she said.

-- Eric Stephens