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.

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.