Ravens' John Harbaugh: 'It's about time' NFL hired first female official

History was made Wednesday when the NFL officially announced the hiring of Sarah Thomas as its first full-time female official, and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is among the many around the league who know the move was a long time coming.

Meeting with the media as part of the Ravens' predraft press conference, Harbaugh was asked whether his approach toward referees would differ with Thomas on board.

Impressed by her work in the preseason last year, Harbaugh denied such an idea, explaining that Thomas' new opportunity is well deserved:

No. We had her in the preseason last year, and she did a good job. She might be one of the better ones we had, so it's about time. We gotta get these guys straightened out a little bit, get some gals in there. Looking forward to it. She's a good ref, so it was a good choice.

Thomas became the first woman to officiate college football games in 2007, and she's now set to do the same as a line judge in the NFL starting this fall.