The Buffalo Bills now have the NFL’s first-ever full-time female coach: Rex Ryan has promoted Kathryn Smith to Special Teams Quality Control coach.
Ryan, who just wrapped up his first year as Bills head couch, praised Smith’s past work with the organization and said he consulted with Arizona Coach Bruce Arians about the move. The successful Cardinals manager brought in a female linebackers coach last summer.
“You can see the success some of these young ladies are having in the coaching profession, such as the young lady that is an assistant to Coach (Greg) Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs, and realize how exciting this is for women like Kathryn Smith as well as the Bills organization,” Ryan said in a statement.
The Bills finished 8-8 this season, good for just third place in the AFC East.
Read Ryan’s full statement:
.@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