The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that the team has hired Danny Smith as its Special Teams Coordinator. Smith brings more than three decades of NFL coaching experience to Tampa Bay, including 29
as a special teams coordinator.
“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 joins the Buccaneers following his 13 years as special teams coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin. He brings 31 seasons of NFL experience with stints leading special teams units for the Philadelphia Eagles (1995-98, where he also served as defensive backs coach), the Buffalo Bills (2001-03) and the now-Washington Commanders (2004-2012). In addition, Smith spent two seasons as the Detroit Lions’ tight ends coach (1999-2000).
Smith’s units were among the league’s best in blocked kicks during his time in Pittsburgh, ranking tied for eighth since 2013, with 21. Over the past nine seasons, the Steelers are tied for the league lead with 17 blocked kicks. Under Smith’s tutelage, Miles Killebrew earned consecutive Pro Bowl trips as a special teamer from 2023-24 and leads all active players in career blocked punts (four). Conversely, the Steelers are 1-of-2 teams to not allow a blocked punt over the past nine seasons. Since 2013, Pittsburgh surrendered only 12 total blocked kicks of its own, which are tied for the fourth-fewest during that span.
In 2025, Smith’s kickoff unit limited opposing teams to the fifth-worst starting field position following kickoffs (their own 29.0-yard line), while having the second-lowest touchback rate in the league (8.2%).
Smith has also developed a number of wide receivers into key special teams performers, including Antonio Brown, who became the first player ever to record 1,000 yards receiving and 1,000 yards returning in the same season when he did so in 2013, earning a Pro Bowl selection. In 2019, Smith mentored Diontae Johnson to a league-best 12.4 yards per punt return during his rookie campaign. This past season, Ben Skowronek finished fourth in the NFL in special teams tackles (21) on his way to a Pro Bowl selection.
During his time in Pittsburgh, Smith coached kicker Chris Boswell to a pair of Pro Bowl selections and an Associated Press first-team All-Pro honor. In their 11 years together (2015-25), Boswell ranked second in the NFL in field goals made (299), second in field goal percentage from 50+ yards (82.5%, which trailed only current Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin’s 84.3% during that span) and fourth in overall field goal percentage (87.7%, min. 200 attempts). Over Smith’s full tenure in Pittsburgh dating back to 2013, the Steelers enjoyed the league’s second-highest field goal percentage (88.0%), ranked fourth in total field goals made (388), and tied for fifth in the NFL with 18 game-winning field goals.
A Pittsburgh native, he attended Central Catholic High School, where he later coached from 1977-78, helping mentor future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Smith went on to play defensive back at Edinboro State from 1972-76 and later served as a graduate assistant for the Fighting Scots. He was inducted into the Edinboro University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. He and his wife, Elaine, have three children: Erin, Courtney and Jason.
(Courtesy of the Buccaneers Communications Department.)
