A time will come when Knengi Martin can answer her phone and just talk football.

When Xs and Os or an opponent's scouting report take precedent over her place in history.

As the junior varsity football coach at Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo, Calif., the California Interscholastic Federation believes Martin is the first female high school head football coach at any level in state history.

A member of USA Football's Women's National Team that won a gold medal at the recent IFAF Women's World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, Martin didn't set out to be a pioneer, but she is comfortable with the role if it helps other women pursue a similar path.

"For me, I don't think it's ever been about that, being a woman," Martin said. "It's still all about getting to know everyone and how you work with other coaches and the players. The players know I have experience coaching and playing. We'll just go from there."

A 5-foot-10, 220-pound defensive lineman and linebacker for Team USA, the 26-year-old Martin has nine years of football playing experience, including one season in high school and two years with the California Quake of the Independent Women's Football League.

She also coached seventh- and eighth-grade boys the past two seasons in the San Luis Obispo Youth League, where she worked with a few of her current players and Mission Prep varsity assistant John Villa.

Growing up in Palo Alto, Calif., Martin said she always loved football and wanted to play at the highest level available to her. Her time in the IWFL and with Team USA showed her how professional coaches prepare for and teach the game. It helped her become a better player and a better coach.

"Every football experience I've had has helped me," Martin said. "Team USA was amazing. I watched all the coaches and how they operated, how they worked. Same thing with the coaches I've worked and played under with the Quake - I learned something from everybody."

Mission Prep head coach Brady Lock said his coaching search focused on people with playing and coaching experience. That Martin is a woman never became part of the discussion for Lock or the school's administration.

"She was hired for her ability to coach boys, not for any kind of novelty act," Martin said. "Everyone is making a big thing about this, but I hired her for her ability and experience, nothing about her gender.

"She just loves coaching football. She is an accomplished player. That doesn't necessarily make you a good coach, but it was important to me have a background. Some of the recommendations for her came from parents who went through a season with her (at the youth level). It made the transition a lot easier. I've not had one negative thing said about hiring a female coach."

Natalie Randolph knows the challenges Martin faces. In March, Randolph was named the head football coach at Coolidge High School in Washington, D.C., and is preparing for her first season leading the boys varsity program.

"It's been hectic - some of it because of the media," said Randolph, who played for the D.C. Divas of the IWFL. "But everything goes the way it goes. I haven't heard anything specific to being a female for a while.

"Most people call me 'Coach.' All the press and stuff, nothing is really that different. It's not as big a deal as people are making it. It just hasn't happened that many times before."

That's how Martin sees it, too. Her focus remains on preparing her players. On the practice field, she's not a yeller but gets her point across. She's also not afraid to get down and demonstrate to show how it's done.

"She's certainly disciplined," Lock said. "She's a teacher, not a screamer or a 'My way or the highway' type. She commands respect. ... She has complete command of that team. She does what she needs to do to get 14-year-olds ready to play football."

Martin wants to be judged at her job the same way everyone else is. At Mission Prep, Lock said, that means teaching solid fundamentals, character building and helping boys become young men while learning respect for others.

"It's been fair," Martin said. "I came in with a pretty respectable knowledge of football. I'm not somebody who was just walking down the street and who just likes football. I've been around the sport."

Her role as Mission Prep includes being the JV offensive coordinator as well as head coach. Preseason is almost over. Martin said what little attention her players paid to her being a woman is long past. The team is settled into a routine.

"I think that they just think of me as their coach," she said. "People see something on the news and see 'the female coach.' I'm still their coach, and that is how (the players) see me. I don't know how much they see gender or how much they see anything different. I'm just a coach."