The end of the Mike Tomlin era meant a new direction for the Pittsburgh Steelers. When the team made the decision to move forward with Mike McCarthy, we knew there would be major changes to the coaching staff.
One of those changes involved parting ways with a long-time fan-favorite coach.
Danny Smith was adored by fans for the past 13 years. The 72-year-old special teams coach could be seen on the sidelines, shouting out to players while chewing an enormous wad of gum (this is an image that most Steelers fans can see as clear as day in their heads right now).
The team permitted Smith to look for employment elsewhere. In doing so, the long-time coaching veteran quickly landed on his feet as the special teams coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Steelers took some time but eventually found Smith's replacement. On Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have hired Danny Crossman as their new special teams coach. Crossman, 59, has two decades of coaching experience—most recently with the Miami Dolphins.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans will miss Danny Smith but look forward to greener pastures with Danny Crossman
Just like the Steelers went from 'Mike to Mike' this offseason (Tomlin to McCarthy, that is), they just went from 'Danny to Danny'. After hiring Patrick Graham as his new special teams coordinator, McCarthy found Smith's replacement in Crossman.
Smith was considered one of the better special teams coaches in the league for much of the past decade. And while fans will miss the nostalgia of hearing his voice echo across the field at Steelers training camp and watching the camera zoom up on his obnoxiously large wad of gum during the game broadcast, Smith's special teams results have only been average as of late.
Something Smith did well throughout his entire career was coaching special teams coverage units. Ben Skowronek made the Pro Bowl after an outstanding 2025 campaign running down punts as a gunner. This remained a staple for Smith's unit.
But there was always room for improvement in the return game.
Crossman was the special teams coach of the Dolphins from 2022 to 2024 before being fired early in the 2025 offseason. Over his final two seasons as special teams coach, the Dolphins ranked in the top 12 in punt return average and the top 10 in kick return average. In 2024, Miami averaged an impressive 29.0 yards per kick return (4th in the NFL).
There's hardly a guarantee that Crossman will be an improvement over Smith, and time will tell what he'll bring to this team. Even now, fans are sad to see Danny Smith join the Buccaneers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers' latest hiring is a reminder of his recent departure.