She’s Got Next: Jamie Riley
From an early start in customer service to an eventual career in marketing, Jamie Riley has shown how focus, fortitude, and follow-through can chart one’s professional trajectory. Now Chief Operating Officer of USA Football—the national governing body of American football in the United States—she provides critical support to the organization’s CEO, Board of Directors, and the organization’s workforce of over 70 employees. Jamie is a graduate of Ball State University. After following graduation with a 15-year career in public relations and marketing with home tech leader CEDIA, Jamie joined USA Football as its director of marketing. She was soon promoted to managing director of brand experience, then chief of staff, where she handled strategic operations, human resources, information technology, and project management.
The following conversation is edited for space and clarity.
I was listening to a podcast you were on, and you described your career as a jungle gym not a ladder. That’s such a vivid description. How does that play into your path to COO at USA Football?
That comparison has always resonated with me. I always get asked how I got to where I am today, and it has really been about being exploratory. My career has always been raising my hand and putting myself in uncomfortable situations just to learn from every avenue.
I’ve moved laterally, diagonally, sometimes stepping back and recalibrating. This has given me the ability, not only in this role, but in other roles, to be able to connect the dots and be able to lead from different angles.
It’s never been about arriving in the role of COO of USA Football. It’s never been about checking off a list of roles that I’ve had in my mind, or my goals from when I was a little girl. I’ve never been that way. I’ve always just seen an opportunity to learn something, whether it be through a job, a project, or a certificate course, and I’ve always just done it. Looking back, it’s created a toolkit of skills that I can apply in any given situation.
That’s what I mean about my career being a jungle gym and not a ladder. It’s not just about the role. It’s about the skills that I’ve built that apply to a myriad of roles and/or industries.
Football is a sport that has a perception of being hypermasculine. What is like being a woman not just in football but leading a national organization?
Well, I’ll start with football. It’s funny, because I always say it’s not what you see on Sunday—it’s not even close. That’s the fun sport part, competition part. For me, being in football has been more about the strategy around football and the business of football, not the competition side.
And being a female in the sport, it’s really about showing up fully. Throughout my career, I’ve always been in a hypermasculine industry. I’ve had to show up and be confident in my voice, but also lead with purpose.
A lot of people don’t like this analogy, but sometimes, you have to fake it ‘til you make it. Learn it as you go, and don’t self-doubt yourself, because there are plenty of other people that are going to doubt you—just for being a female in this space. Don’t discredit what your knowledge and experience can bring to the table, whether you’re a male or female.
Flag football is having a moment at both the state high school level for girls and with the announcement of the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 LA Olympics. What is both exciting and challenging about that?
It’s like a once in a generational point in time for people to experience. This is a transformational moment for the sport at large, and for women’s sports, specifically.
We’re seeing a lot of energy and a lot of momentum, not only just from LA 2028, but from the many states that now sanction varsity female flag football. By the end of next year, there could be 30, so it’s really growing.
This is a challenge and an opportunity. We must make sure that the sport has a solid foundation and infrastructure because with growth comes complexity. That’s where USA Football comes into play. We serve and support from the grassroots level all the way up to the Olympics. As this sport continues to grow quickly, our job, privilege, and opportunity is to ensure that we are setting a foundation not only for competitiveness in the sport, but for athlete development, safety, standards, and best practices, too.
We want to make sure this sport continues to grow beyond LA 2028.
How do you motivate and inspire your team?
I’ve always been told by those who report to me that I can be very direct. But sometimes, I can be intimidating.
I know this—and I’ve really tried to work on improving this—so how do I motivate my team who have different communication styles? I always focus on three things: clarity, by making sure that my team knows exactly what is needed of them and what our goals are; ownership, by getting out of their way and giving them complete ownership within our boundaries so they can work successfully; and accountability. I don’t micromanage. I try to work with them on how they receive communication.
I’ve learned to take a step back to see what my team is motivated by, and how I can adapt. It’s not an easy task for me being a strong driver, but it’s really about clarity, ownership, and accountability, and everybody being on the same page.
What’s your advice for young women who want to work in the sports world?
Put yourself in the uncomfortable situation. Stretch yourself a little bit. I know this probably sounds cliche, but that’s how I got to where I am, and I didn’t know it was leading me to where I am. I never was the girl that said, I want to work in sports. I knew I liked marketing, and USA Football had an opening for marketing.
You are never going to be 100% ready, so don’t be afraid of that. And make sure that you define what success looks like on your own terms.
Nobody’s ever 100% ready. Just take the leap, whether it is in sports or some other industry. Be confident in what you know, and then be eager to learn and figure it out.
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