Danny Smith, longtime Pittsburgh Steelers ST coordinator, hired by Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It is truly the end of an era for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin has resigned as head coach and now, longtime special teams coordinator Danny Smith and his endless supply of chewing gum are headed elsewhere.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hired Smith as their special teams coordinator, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Smith is replacing Thomas McGaughey, who head coach Todd Bowles fired after the 2025 season.

The 2026 season will be Smith’s 50th year in coaching. The 72-year-old started at Edinboro and worked through the college ranks for nearly two decades before landing his first NFL job in 1995 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith had stints with the Eagles, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders before joining Tomlin’s staff in 2013.

Buccaneers hire Danny Smith, Steelers lose special teams coaching great

Smith, a Pittsburgh native, is as well-respected a coach in the league and considered one of the best special teams coordinators in football. He will look to make a sizeable impact in Tampa Bay, which struggled across the board on special teams in 2025.

In the first four weeks alone, the Buccaneers had three kicks blocked in total. The issues in protection never got corrected, neither did the kick coverage. By the end of the season, Bowles instructed kicker Chase McLaughlin to place every kickoff into the back of the end zone, willingly giving the opponent field position from the 35-yard line. When McLaughlin had a miskick, it often spelled trouble for Tampa Bay.

Under Smith, the Steelers routinely fielded a quality special teams unit. Chris Boswell became an All-Pro kicker. Special team aces Miles Killebrew and Ben Skowronek also earned All-Pro nods.

The Steelers will have to replace Smith but first, they need a head coach. Mike McCarthy will interview Wednesday for the head coaching vacancy. The team is meeting Tuesday with Minnesota Vikings coordinator Brian Flores. Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is also scheduled to interview in-person.