The Buffalo Bills promoted Kathryn Smith last Wednesday night for their special teams quality control coach on Rex Ryan's staff, making her the NFL's first full-time female coach.
She will assist special teams coordinator Danny Crossman and his assistant Eric Smith, she will replace Michael Hamlin who was not retained.
Her appointment comes after Jen Welter did a 6 week training camp internship last summer coaching inside linebackers for the Arizona Cardinals.
Smith served as the administrative assistant to head coach Rex Ryan this season after working for 12 years for the New York Jets, including the final 6 with Ryan as Jets head coach.
Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito expressed his support for Smith in a tweet.
"Congrats Kathryn!! I know you will do a great job," Incognito said in a post that included a thumb's up and smiley face.
This is not the first time the Bills broke the gender barrier. Linda Bogdan, in 1986, became the NFL's first female scout, when she joined the team's player personnel department. Bogdan, who died in 2009, was the daughter of late Bills Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson.
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