Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski/AP
Last year marked a complete turning point for women in sports when the Arizona Cardinals hired Dr. Jen Welter as a coaching intern and when the Oakland A’s hired Justine Siegal, and now it looks like the NFL is making even more strides in equality once again. It has been reported on the NFL’s website that the Buffalo Bills have hired Kathryn Smith to be their special teams quality control coach; making her the first female assistant coach in the history of the NFL.
Even though there is no official statement from the Bills, the move was made official by the league on Tuesday. Smith has a long time history with Bills head coach, Rex Ryan, working as his administrative assistant during his last year as the Jets head coach. Before that she was the Jets’ player personnel assistant.
Smith’s hiring will mark the first time that the NFL has a long-term female coach. Even though she made history, Welter has yet to receive and/or accept any offers from any NFL teams. Regardless of that, it is still exciting to see the Bills take this exciting step forward. Although it might seem like a low position for now, Smith literally has the world at her feet if she does a great job. Congratulations Kathryn Smith!
