Steelers assistant coach makes big move to NFC South

PITTSBURGH — Danny Smith, the special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Tuesday, the Buccaneers announced they hired Smith to be their next special teams coordinator. Smith, 72, is a veteran football coach with nearly 50 years of experience. Smith spent 13 seasons as the Steelers’ special teams coach. Before Pittsburgh, he held the same job with the Buffalo Bills and Washington. Smith is known for his energy, his sideline presence and even his habit of chewing gum during games. He guided kickers, punters and coverage teams on game days. Tampa Bay’s head coach, Todd Bowles, said he is happy to bring Smith onto the staff. Bowles praised Smith’s long history of working with top players and believes he can help the Bucs get better in 2026. Smith is the first Steelers assistant coach to take a new job since Pittsburgh’s longtime head coach, Mike Tomlin. stepped down earlier this month. The Steelers allowed their assistants to interview for other jobs while the team looks for a new head coach. Smith’s units in Pittsburgh were known for blocking kicks and creating big plays. Under his direction, players like Chris Boswell became top performers in the league. Boswell was named an All-Pro player more than once while working with Smith.