Kathryn Smith

BUFFALO – The NFL has its first full-time female coach.

Kathryn Smith was promoted by the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday night to take over as special teams quality control coach on Rex Ryan’s staff. She will assist special teams coordinator Danny Crossman and his assistant Eric Smith, filling the role that opened after Michael Hamlin was not retained following the season.

Smith’s appointment comes after Jen Welter served a six-week training camp internship last summer coaching inside linebackers for the Arizona Cardinals.

Smith spent the past season as an administrative assistant for the team’s assistant coaches. She also was the New York Jets player personnel assistant when Ryan took over as coach in 2009. Smith then served as Ryan’s assistant in 2014, his final year in New York before he was fired and then hired by the Bills.

Smith has 13 seasons of NFL experience, and began her career in 2003 as a Jets game-day/special events intern. Two years later, the Jets promoted her to become a college scouting intern, and eventually became the team’s player personnel assistant in 2007.