http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/bills-hire-nfl-full-time-female-assistant-coach-article-1.2504048

 

Rex Ryan is helping to break down gender barriers in the NFL.

 

The Bills announced Wednesday that they have hired Kathryn Smith as a special teams quality control coach, making her the first full-time female NFL assistant in the NFL.

 

“Kathryn Smith has done an outstanding job in the seven years that she has worked with our staff,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “She certainly deserves this promotion based on her knowledge and strong commitment, just to name a couple of her outstanding qualities, and I just know she’s going to do a great job serving in the role of Quality Control-Special Teams.”

 

Smith spent many years with the Jets, starting with the organization in 2003 as a game day and special events intern. She became a college scouting intern in 2005, a player personnel assistant in 2007 and assistant to the head coach in 2014. She followed Ryan to Buffalo in 2015 after the Jets fired him.

 

Last year, the Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an assistant coaching intern for training camp. Welter was believed to be the first female coach in NFL history, but Smith is the first full-time NFL coach.

 

I consulted with Bruce Arians on this since he was really the first NFL head coach to make this kind of move when he hired a female linebackers coach through the summer,” Ryan said in the statement. “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 (Gregg) Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs, and realize how exciting this is for women like Kathryn Smith as well as the Bills organization.”

 

Ryan was referring to Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.

 

“Kathryn has been working in a football administrative role and assisted the assistant coaches for years,” Ryan added. “She has proven that she’s ready for the next step, so I’m excited and proud for her with this opportunity. She will work with Danny Crossman and Eric Smith involving a number of responsibilities.”

I have no idea if she's qualified or not, but the cynic in me suspects Rex is doing this to stay relevant in the media.

Looks like she has earned her opportunity. Good for her. I do have one question, what is Quality Control-Special teams? Maybe checking for cracks, gaps in formations?

I saw a funny cartoon that said she'll throw a flag for something that happened 3 years ago.

The Role of an NFL Quality Control Coach - Mile High Report

 

From the Article:

 

"Contemporary coaches are always searching for an edge over their opponents. Now that the Computer Age is upon us, the analyzing has become more technical. Many of those coaches have assistants called the "Quality Control Coach." However, the QCC doesn't really do much coaching at all. They spend all day multitasking, breaking down film up to five weeks in advance and analyzing data. They work all hours, in hotel lobbies, on airplanes and at their team's headquarters producing reports for their Head Coach. They do get to do some coaching though. The QC coaches often run the "Scout" team in practices. From their extensive film work and breaking down plays, the QCC can be a great help preparing their team because they know the tendencies of their opponents. They make sure the Scout teams give the starters an accurate look at what they'll face on Sunday in practice during game weeks."

Glad to see it.

 

I heard it last night and had a discussion about it. I don't believe gender really matters.

 

Good for Kathryn Smith, good for the NFL.

Cool. Why is this news?

 

I know its historical or whatever. But I still couldn't name one other Quality Control Coach.

Good to see! Definitely is news because of the barrier.

I saw a funny cartoon that said she'll throw a flag for something that happened 3 years ago.

 

I think that was referring to a female ref, not coach.

I saw a funny cartoon that said she'll throw a flag for something that happened 3 years ago.

 

She'll also get ejected every 3-4 weeks.

This thread took a decidedly masculine turn almost immediately....