Mike Tomlin’s departure from Pittsburgh sent shockwaves throughout the football world. A new voice will be leading from the sidelines this year, void of the many “Tomlin-isms” heard in the past. Outside of Tomlin’s voice, the sound of gum being violently chewed on the sidelines will also be missing next season. The Steelers’ special teams coordinator, Danny Smith, will no longer be with the team next season after receiving a job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Like with Tomlin, Smith has also had some players rally for him after leaving, most recently James Harrison and Joe Haden. 

“That one hurt,” said Haden on his podcast Deebo and Joe, “That one hurt my soul… Bankroll Boz, Kuntz, and Danny Smith, just chillin. They haven’t done any wrong, so I’m a little sad about that.”

Harrison also came to Smith’s defense, saying they should have re-signed him and retained him on the next staff.

Obviously, with a new staff, there will be changes, including a special teams coordinator. While it’s always a nice feather in the cap to be the coach overseeing Chris Boswell, who has been one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL, that isn’t enough to save a job.

The truth is, the Steelers’ special teams units have been middle-of-the-pack at best with Smith at the helm. They rank 16th in the NFL in total punt return yards and 20th in average punt return yards. On kick returns, it’s worse, ranking 21st in kick return yardage and 29th in average kick return yards. While it’s hard to pin this all on Smith and not on the lack of talent within the units, it’s still an indication that the third phase of the game needs improvement.

Danny isn’t the only Smith on the Steelers staff looking for new work in 2026. Arthur Smith, the team’s offensive coordinator, has been interviewing around the league, searching for his next gig as well. So far, he’s been under consideration for the Chargers, Lions, and Titans offensive coordinator roles.

Stepping away from the Smiths, it has also been reported that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has interviewed for the same role with the Washington Commanders.

It will be interesting to see where the Steelers coordinators end up landing in the next few weeks as the team looks to shake up its coaching staff.