The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Danny Smith as their special teams coordinator, the team announced on Tuesday. Smith is the Buccaneers’ first hire since seven coaching vacancies were created on January 8, and he brings a wealth of experience and NFL success to Todd Bowles’ staff.
Smith has held a special teams coordinator post in the NFL for 29 seasons, including each of the last 25. Most recently, he spent the past 13 seasons in that position for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Mike Tomlin’s staff. Tomlin stepped down as the Steelers’ head coach on January 13.
“Danny is one of the most respected and highly regarded special teams coaches in our league,” said Head Coach Todd Bowles. “He is an extraordinary teacher and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all areas of special teams. I am confident that he will get the most out of our players and take our special teams unit to the next level.”
Smith was one of five candidates the Buccaneers’ interviewed for their top special teams job in rapid succession over the previous week and a half. The team is seeking to replace Thomas McGaughey, who held the position for the previous two years but was one of five assistants with whom the Bucs parted ways after the 2025 campaign.
Prior to joining Tomlin’s staff in 2013, Smith was the special teams coordinator in Washington from 2004-12 and in Buffalo from 2001-03. His first NFL coaching job with was the Philadelphia Eagles, for whom he was the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach from 1995-98. Smith also tutored the Detroit Lions’ tight ends in 1999 and 2000. Including his time working in the college ranks, Smith has nearly five decades of coaching experience.
The Buccaneers are seeking improvement in several areas in the kick-and-return portion of the game, including kickoff coverage. Tampa Bay ranked 30th in kickoff return average allowed and average opponent drive start after kickoffs; Smith’s units in Pittsburgh ranked eight covering kickoffs (25.2 yards per return), sixth covering punts (7.0) and fifth in average opponent drive start after kickoffs (29.0) in 2025. Tampa Bay also had five kicks blocked in 2025 (three field goals, two punts); the Steelers haven’t had a punt blocked since 2016.
Smith’s crew had a strong performance across the board in 2024. Chris Boswell led the NFL with 41 successful field goals, wide receiver Calvin Austin scored on a punt return and the Steelers blocked two field goals and one punt.
Smith has coached two players to first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors in the past three seasons. Boswell earned that accolade following a 2024 campaign in which he made 41 of 44 field goals and all 35 of his extra point attempts. Safety Miles Killebrew also earned that honor as a special teams player following a 2023 season in which he blocked two punts among other exploits in that phase of the game. Boswell has been one of the NFL’s best placekickers during his 11 years under Smith’s tutelage, particularly on long-range attempts. Boswell’s career success rate of 82.5% (52 of 63) from 50 yards and beyond is the second-highest in NFL history, trailing only the Buccaneers’ Chase McLaughlin (84.3%) among qualifying kickers.
The addition of Boswell fills one of the Buccaneers’ two coordinator vacancies, as the team is still looking for a replacement for former Offensive Coordinator Josh Grizzard. The Bucs also have openings on Bowles’ staff at cornerbacks coach, safeties coach, defensive line coach and quarterbacks coach.