Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith became the first member of former coach Mike Tomlin’s staff to leave the team. The 72-year-old was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their new special teams coordinator, the Buccaneers reported.
Smith spent the past 13 seasons with the Steelers under Tomlin, who last week stepped down after 19 seasons.
A Pittsburgh native who went to Central Catholic High School, Smith is entering his 32nd consecutive season as an NFL assistant. This coming season will be his 30th as a special teams coordinator, counting time with the Philadelphia Eagles (1995-98), Buffalo Bills (2001-03) and Washington Redskins (2004-12).
Counting two seasons at Central Catholic and another as a graduate assistant at his college alma mater, Edinboro, Smith has been employed as a football coach for 50 consecutive seasons (2026 will be his 51st). The Steelers had been his longest stop.
The Steelers had told all of their assistant coaches — some under contract for 2026, some not — that they were free to pursue other opportunities in the wake of Tomlin’s resignation Jan. 13.
The charismatic Smith became popular among Steelers fans and frequently was spotted during television broadcasts chewing massive wads of bubble gum. Fans who attended training camp became accustomed to his shrill-like shouts of instructions during special-teams periods at practices.
Smith is a respected enough voice across the league that he is influential among his peer special-teams coordinators in establishing new rules, such as the modified kickoffs the NFL adopted in 2024.
The Steelers are in the midst of interviewing candidates for their next head coach. As is custom, that individual will have latitude to hire his staff.
