Danny Smith (American football)

Danny Smith (born November 7, 1953) is an American football coach who is the special teams coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).

Coaching career
Danny Smith began his coaching career at his alma mater, Edinboro State College, as a Graduate Assistant. Following his season at Edinboro, he began coaching at his High School alma mater, Central Catholic (1977-78), helping tutor future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. After two decades of coaching at the collegiate and high school levels, Smith entered the NFL in 1995 as the Philadelphia Eagles' coach for special teams and defensive backs. Subsequently, he occupied various assistant coaching roles with the Detroit, Buffalo, and Washington teams. His tenure with Washington from 2004 to 2012 marks was his second longest coaching stint.

Smith eventually joined the Steelers' coaching staff ahead of the 2013 season where he has remained as the special teams coordinator. He was away from the Steelers due to COVID-19 protocols prior to a week 12 game against Baltimore Ravens in 2020. On November 16, 2023, Smith tore his rotator cuff in three places absorbing a collision with Domontae Kazee on the sideline following the final play of a game against the Green Bay Packers.

Personal life
Danny is the older brother of Ed Smith, a quarterback who set the Big Ten Conference record for career passing yardage while playing for Michigan State and later played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Smith attended Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School.