According to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills have hired a woman, Kathryn Smith, as a full-time assistant coach, which is the first time a female has held a full-time coaching gig in NFL history.
Per Florio, Ryan and the Bills will name Smith their special teams quality control coach; the paperwork was filed with the league office on Tuesday, and the Bills have since confirmed the hire.
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
.@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
Smith would replace former Clemson and NFL safety Michael Hamlin in that role; the Bills announced that Hamlin would not be returning to the coaching staff after his first and only year with the team in 2015.
Smith followed Ryan from the New York Jets to the Bills last season, and held the title of Admin Asst. Coaching with the team in 2015. She also, per Florio, spent seven years with the Jets as a player personnel assistant, and was once a college scouting intern, as well.
As special teams quality control coach, Smith will work under Ryan, special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, and special teams assistant Eric Smith.