Tampa Bay adds longtime Steelers coordinator to coaching staff

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding a veteran presence to his coaching staff, hiring for a long time Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Danny Smith as special teams coordinator.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the move on Tuesday, confirming that Smith is leaving for Tampa Bay after an extended tenure in Pittsburgh.

“Bucs hire Danny Smith as special teams coordinator, source confirms (as told by NFL Network).
Smith heads to Tampa after a long run with Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh.

The lease comes a few days after The Buccaneers held a virtual interview for their special teams opening last friday. Smith is leaving the Steelers after 13 seasons on Mike Tomlin’s staff. Tomlin resigned as Pittsburgh’s head coach after coaching the team Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans.

Tampa Bay is coming off an 8–9 season as a club missed the playoffs, which led to adjustments in the coaching staff as the organization aims to recover in 2026.

Danny Smith brings decades of NFL special teams experience to the Buccaneers staff

Smith brings one of the longest and most consistent resumes in coaching special teams in the NFL. According to the Buccaneers’ initial release regarding the interview process, Smith has served as an NFL special teams coordinator for each of the past 25 seasons. His run began with the Buffalo Bills from 2001-03, followed by the same role with the Washington Redskins from 2004-12, before joining Pittsburgh in 2013.

In all, Smith has 50 years of coaching experience. His career began in 1976 as a graduate assistant at Edinboro State, where he previously played quarterback and defensive back. After early collegiate stints at Clemson, William & Mary and The Citadel, Smith spent eight seasons at Georgia Tech from 1987–94. training multiple groups.

Pittsburgh has consistently ranked among the league’s strongest special teams units during Smith’s tenure. In 2025, the Steelers ranked sixth in punt return yards allowed and eighth in kickoff return average, while ranking second in the entire league in opposing kickoff average. Kicker Chris Boswell continued to thrive under Smith, earning another Pro Bowl nod and first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors, while Myles Killebrew was also first-team AP All-Pro as a special teamer in 2024.

Smith now joins the Buccaneers staff with the goal of bolstering a key piece of the game as Tampa Bay works to return to postseason contention.