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Bills will not retain Smith, NFL's first female assistant

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Bills will not retain Kathryn Smith, the first full-time female assistant coach in the NFL.

Smith is one of 14 assistants who will not remain on new coach Sean McDermott's staff, the Bills announced on Tuesday. McDermott was hired on Jan. 11 to replace Ryan, who was fired prior to the Bills' season finale.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman and defensive backs coach Ed Reed are also among the coaches McDermott will not bring back. Special teams coach Danny Crossman is the only on-field assistant from Ryan's staff that McDermott has retained.

The move was fairly expected as new head coaches often bring in their own assistants, shifting away from those already in an organization.

Smith spent last season assisting Crossman as Buffalo's special teams quality control coach after Ryan promoted her from administrative assistant.

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