Rex Ryan Hires Female Assistant in Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills became the first team in NFL history to hire a woman as an assistant coach.

Head coach Rex Ryan hired Kathryn Smith as the franchise’s special teams quality control coach. Smith’s history with Ryan dates back almost a decade to their time together in New York. She spent more than twelve years working for the Jets in various capacities, which included scouting and player personnel.

.@buffalobills HC Rex Ryan on naming Kathryn Smith the first female full-time coach in @NFL history pic.twitter.com/w95ph4DOXo

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) January 21, 2016

BREAKING: Kathryn Smith is the Bills new special teams quality control coach, the first full-time female NFL coach! pic.twitter.com/r2MkWX4pR3

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) January 21, 2016

Smith becomes just the second woman to land a full-time coaching position for a major North American sports franchise. Becky Hammon serves as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.