The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hired not just Danny Smith but also his nephew, Luke Smith, for Todd Bowles’ new-look coaching staff. As Pittsburgh did earlier in the day, Tampa Bay finalized its own coaching staff Thursday with both Smiths on staff.
Officially, Luke will wear the title of Assistant Special Teams Coordinator under Danny in the lead role.
Another new name announced by the Bucs today: Luke Smith will be the team's assistant special teams coach. He spent eight years coaching at Duquesne and was a quality control coach with the Steelers last year. He is the nephew of new Bucs special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) February 12, 2026
Luke Smith had just one year in Pittsburgh. Hired by the Steelers ahead of the 2025 season, he operated under the catch-all label of quality control coach. The title given to a general assistant capable of helping any area of the coaching staff, he was often seen alongside Danny Smith, the team’s longtime special teams coordinator, on game days.
When Danny strayed too far onto the field against the Indianapolis Colts during the year, Luke had to remind him to return to the sideline. You can see both in the bottom-right corner of the clip below.
Before Pittsburgh, Luke spent time at nearby Duquesne. Before that, he worked at the high school level as the offensive coordinator at DeMatha Catholic in Washington, D.C.
Under Mike McCarthy, only two coaches were retained: QBs Coach Tom Arth and ILBs Coach Scott McCurley. Many of Pittsburgh’s 2025 staff have found work elsewhere. Danny Smith was the first name to depart. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was named Ohio State’s new OC, while other teams hired many positional coaches. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar and tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts were hired for the same roles with the New York Jets, and defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander received a promotion with the Minnesota Vikings.
The most notable Steelers’ coach yet to land a job is defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who interviewed for the Washington Commanders’ DC role but was passed over for the job.
McCarthy’s coaching staff sits at 20 assistants, excluding S&C coaches and Chief of Staff Steve Scarnecchia, two more than Mike Tomlin had a year ago.
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