The Tampa Bay Buccaneers filled one of its two coordinator voids on Tuesday with the hiring of Danny Smith, the former long-tenured special teams coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Buccaneers’ special teams were an absolute disaster last year, so the hope/goal is that Smith can get the unit up to a serviceable, if not good, level. Case in point: It got so bad on the kickoff return aspect to the point where the Bucs were just kicking the ball out of the end zone in order to avoid giving up a big return.

Enter Smith, who is coming off a 12-year stint as the Steelers’ special teams coordinator. His time in Pittsburgh proves he knows how to get the job done, and there’s little doubt he won’t be able to fix the abhorrent product we all saw in 2025.

Smith’s proven track record will get the Buccaneers’ special teams back on track

Sure, experience and tenure don’t always mean success. Thomas McGaughey, the Bucs special teams coach for the last two years, was the New York Giants’ ST coordinator for six seasons before landing in Tampa Bay, and he was a disaster, as we’ve discussed.

That won’t be the case with Smith, however, and A to Z Pittsburgh’s Rob Gregson provided some insight on why.

“Steelers owner Art Rooney made one thing abundantly clear when Mike Tomlin stepped down: coordinators and position coaches had better start looking for another job. He made no promises about the current staff and said any retention would be up to the new head coach. Well, Danny Smith wasn’t going to wait, and around to find out.

“It’s not a surprise to see Smith be the first Steelers assistant to land a new gig. For 12 years in Pittsburgh, his kickoff and punt teams were some of the best in the league. I think of All-Pro special team players like Miles Killebrew and Ben Skowronek flying downfield to make tackles. I can count on one hand the number of opposing kick or punt returns that resulted in touchdowns. Oh, and the rise of Chris Boswell doesn’t happen without Smith. The high-octane, all-gas-no-brakes personality of Smith is an added bonus, as his infectious energy will liven up any room. A home run hire for Tampa.” – Rob Gregson, A to Z Pittsburgh

Smith can coach up players and has a better scheme

To Rob’s point, Killebrew earned an All-Pro nod and two Pro Bowl nods, and Skowronek earned a Pro Bowl nod under Smith. On top of that, Chris Boswell earned his first-ever All-Pro nod, as well.

Smith has proven he can coach guys up to an elite level, as he helped the aforementioned trio get to their first-ever accolades. It’s not like these guys had already made the All-Pro or Pro Bowl teams before his arrival. It was Smith who got them to the top.

A lot of that has to do with how he runs his scheme, too. He demands a fast, aggressive pursuit that closes off alleys and angles and forces returners into a box, so to speak. It sets players up for success, and it’s obvious it translates.

Then there’s the Boswell aspect. The Buccaneers already have one of the best kickers in the league in Chase McLaughlin. Just imagine how much Smith can elevate his game when thinking of what he did with Boswell.

It’s easy to see why the Smith hire is encouraging, and it’ll be fun to watch him build the Bucs’ unit into a respectable one that will help them win games instead of losing them.

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