Special teams coordinator Danny Smith becomes 1st Steelers assistant to be hired elsewhere

Chris Adamski TribLive Tue, Jan 20, 2026 • 02:34 PM

Danny Smith has fun with the crowd as he leaves the field after the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens Dec. 7 at M&T Bank Stadium. The Steelers’ longtime special teams coordinator, Smith has left for a job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)

Longtime special teams coordinator Danny Smith became the first member of former head coach Mike Tomlin’s staff to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 72-year-old was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFL Network 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 32^nd consecutive season as an NFL assistant. This coming season will be his 30^th 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 was frequently 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, like for example 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.