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Tampa Bay Buccaneers News & Rumors

Buccaneers Hire Danny Smith As ST Coordinator

By | at January 20, 2026 5:15 pm

The Buccaneers are turning to a veteran coach to guide their special teams. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Tampa Bay is hiring Danny Smith as their new special teams coordinator.

Smith’s coaching career dates back to the 1970s, when he served as a graduate assistant at Edinboro. After spending more than a decade in college football, he got his first NFL job with the Eagles in 1995. Since then, he’s had stints with Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, and Pittsburgh.

He most recently served as the Steelers special teams coordinator, a job he held since 2013. During his time with the organization, Smith was credited with the development of kicker Chris Boswell, who currently ranks second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.

Following Mike Tomlin‘s departure, Smith considered new opportunities. The 72-year-old now lands with the Buccaneers, who have been seeking a replacement for the ousted Thomas McGaughey. Smith interviewed for the job on Friday, and Todd Bowles didn’t take long to make a hire. The gum-chewing coordinator beat out the likes of Craig Aukerman, Anthony Levine Sr., Michael Clay, and Jett Modkins for the job.

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Coaching Rumors: Bucs, McDaniel, Morris, Bolts, Eagles, Vikings, Jags, Commanders

By | at January 20, 2026 3:00 pm

Mike McDaniel is still on the HC carousel, meeting with the Raiders on Monday and set for a second Browns interview Wednesday. He has landed on a few teams’ OC radars, including the Lions, Chargers, Eagles, Titans and Buccaneers. The Tampa gig could appeal given Todd Bowles‘ hot-seat status. The prospect of McDaniel joining the Bucs with an arrow toward succeeding Bowles is on the radar, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Bucs have promoted from within twice in the Jason Licht GM era, elevating OC Dirk Koetter and then giving Bowles the job after Bruce Arians‘ mid-offseason retirement in 2022. Bowles survived a collapse this season, firing OC Josh Grizzard. It would be interesting to see if he would hire an OC who could be in line to replace him down the line.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • If the Chargers lose Jesse Minter to one of the remaining HC jobs, Jim Harbaugh may well look to promote from within. Defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale has a “very good chance” of being Minter’s DC successor, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes. Harbaugh confirmed internal staffers would be considered if Minter leaves. This would add up considering Clinkscale’s past. He worked as Michigan’s DBs coach in 2021 before being the Wolverines’ co-DC alongside Minter from 2022-23. While Minter received the DC opportunity in Los Angeles, Clinkscale came along with Harbaugh in 2024. The Chargers would need to comply with the Rooney Rule, of course, meaning one external minority would need to be interviewed before this rumored promotion becomes final.
  • Raheem Morris has interviewed for the Cardinals, Giants and Titans’ HC jobs. With New York and Tennessee moving in different directions, Morris is down to either Arizona or the coordinator level. The two-time HC not receiving a third opportunity at a top job could lead to a TV future, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Morris has come up as a possible Commanders DC option, and other teams would surely consider the former Rams coordinator. But he could be joining Mike Tomlin in the media soon.
  • Although Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman are the point men in the Eagles‘ offensive coordinator search, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes both Jeffery Lurie and his son have been sitting in on interviews. Julian Lurie has recently been named to a position within the organization, being listed as a business and football strategy staffer. Via PFR’s Coordinator Search Tracker, Philly has some big names on its radar.
  • The Vikings are moving on from offensive line coach Chris Kuper, with ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert indicating the four-year Minnesota staffer’s contract expired. Minnesota will be looking for a new O-line coach for the first time in the Kevin O’Connell era. This was Kuper’s first crack as a top O-line coach, having been an assistant OL coach with the Broncos and Dolphins previously. Kuper, 43, was an eight-year Broncos O-lineman from 2006-13.
  • Jaguars assistant O-line coach Keli’i Kekuewa is taking over as Stanford’s O-line coach, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Kekeuwa spent one season in Jacksonville; he will follow ex-Commanders staffer Tavita Pritchard to Palo Alto. Offensive assistant Trevor Mendleson should receive consideration to replace him, per the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran.
  • Pritchard’s old job as Commanders QBs coach went to D.J. Williams; Washington has since named Danny Etling as its assistant QBs coach, Zenitz adds. A Patriots seventh-round pick in 2018, Etling bounced around the NFL before being cut by the Packers in August 2023. He spent the 2024 season with the UFL’s Michigan Panthers. This will be the ex-LSU QB’s first coaching job. Etling, 31, was a college teammate of new Commanders OC David Blough at Purdue before transferring.
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2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at January 20, 2026 9:00 am

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 2-4-26 (8:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Drew Petzing)

  • Nathaniel Hackett, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Hired

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

  • Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed
  • Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
  • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Promoted

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Nick Rallis)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

  • Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

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Buccaneers To Conduct OC Interview With Dan Pitcher

By | at January 19, 2026 1:34 pm

The list of Buccaneers candidates to replace Josh Grizzard continues to grow. Dan Pitcher will be the latest staffer to speak with the team about its offensive coordinator opening.

An interview between the parties will take place this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Pitcher has previously spoken with Tampa Bay for the OC spot. He remained in place with the Bengals during the 2024 offseason, however, with Brian Callahan taking the Titans’ head coaching position that year. That departure resulted in Pitcher being promoted from QBs coach to offensive coordinator.

Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor has handled play-calling duties since his arrival. That will continue moving forward. As Rapoport notes, Taylor granted Pitcher permission to seek out a lateral move to another OC gig if it were to allow him the opportunity to call plays. That would be the case in Tampa Bay. The Bucs were impressed with Pitcher the first time he interviewed with them, per Fox Sports’ Greg Auman.

Pitcher, 39, first entered the NFL in 2013 with the Colts as part of their scouting department. His entire tenure on the sidelines has come as a member of the Bengals’ staff, though. Pitcher conducted an interview with the Browns for their head coaching position, but an OC gig would be more realistic in his case. It will be interesting to see if further coordinator interviews are lined over the coming days.

A long list of candidates has emerged for the Bucs as their search for a Josh Grizzard replacement continues. Callahan himself, along with Falcons OC Zac Robinson, Cardinals QBs coach Israel Woolfork, Lions pass-game coordinator David Shaw, former Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka, Ravens offensive coordinator (and former Tampa OC) Todd Monken and recently-fired Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel have all been connected to the position.

Taylor has expressed an expectation the Bengals will not see much in the way of staff turnover this offseason. Losing Pitcher would obviously be notable, however, and with play-calling opportunities available elsewhere he could soon be on the move.

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Chargers Interview Brian Callahan For OC

By | at January 16, 2026 2:27 pm

Brian Callahan now appears on two teams’ offensive coordinator radars. The recently fired Titans coach discussed the Buccaneers’ play-calling position this week, and the Chargers came next.

The Bolts announced Callahan’s interview Friday. Callahan spent five years as the Bengals’ OC, a period that will help his cause more than the Titans HC tenure — one that ended after just 23 games.

This marks the first known external candidate for the Bolts’ OC post. The team previously interviewed pass-game coordinator Marcus Brady and QBs coach Shane Day for the role Greg Roman‘s firing vacated. Callahan, 41, has been an NFL staffer since 2010. He worked for the Broncos, Lions and Raiders before receiving the chance to work under Zac Taylor as Cincinnati’s OC.

Neither of Taylor’s top coordinators received too much HC consideration for years, which represented a bit of a surprise considering Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI appearance and berth in the following year’s AFC championship game. While Lou Anarumo called the shots on defense, Callahan served as a non-play-calling OC. Issues with play-calling and game management doomed him in Tennessee.

Prior to being canned 23 games into his tenure, Callahan handed the play sheet to QBs coach Bo Hardegree. When Callahan was fired, the Titans’ offense ranked 31st in the NFL. Granted, Tennessee only improved to 30th after Mike McCoy‘s interim stay. And the Chargers will gauge Callahan’s readiness. In Los Angeles, Jim Harbaugh serves as a CEO head coach. His Roman successor would call plays for a Justin Herbert-quarterbacked offense. That presents a strong draw, and bigger-name candidates — particularly as the HC carousel sorts itself out — figure to emerge soon.

Harbaugh employed Roman throughout his time in San Francisco and for two years in L.A., but the Chargers’ increasingly run-centric offense lost both its starting tackles — Joe Alt, Rashawn Slater — and then sputtered in a wild-card loss to the Patriots. Callahan impressed in his Bucs interview, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It will be interesting to see if he advances far in this search and/or comes up in other OC searches yet to form.

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Buccaneers Interview Steelers’ Danny Smith For ST Coordinator

By | at January 16, 2026 2:19 pm

The end of the Mike Tomlin era may lead to the end of the Danny Smith era in Pittsburgh. Tomlin resigned after a 19-year head coaching run on Tuesday, leaving Smith’s future as the Steelers’ special teams coordinator up in the air.

If Smith leaves Pittsburgh, he could land on his feet in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers held a virtual interview with Smith for their open ST coordinator position on Friday. He joins Craig Aukerman, Anthony Levine Sr., Michael Clay and Jett Modkins as known candidates for the job.

Tampa Bay is looking for a replacement for Thomas McGaughey, whom head coach Todd Bowles fired last week. McGaughey lasted just two seasons in Tampa Bay, whereas Smith has been a fixture in Pittsburgh. The gum-chewing 72-year-old has worked in the same role since 2013.

Previously with Buffalo for three years and Washington for nine, Smith has been an NFL special teams coordinator for 25 straight seasons. Adding in a four-year stint with Philadelphia from 1995-98, Smith has 29 years’ experience as an ST coordinator in the league.

Should he join the Buccaneers, Smith may end up on the same coaching staff as Mike McDaniel in 2026. The Bucs interviewed McDaniel in person for their offensive coordinator gig on Friday, Jenna Laine of ESPN reports. As PFR’s Nikhil Mehta noted on Wednesday, the former head coach has been popular across the league since the Dolphins fired him on Jan. 8. As is the case with the Buccaneers, the Lions and Eagles are considering McDaniel for the OC role. Meanwhile, the Falcons, Ravens, Browns and Titans are interested in hiring him as a head coach.

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Buccaneers Interview Three More Candidates For ST Coordinator Job

By | at January 15, 2026 6:47 pm

The Buccaneers are casting a relatively wide map as they search for a replacement for fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. Over the past two days, we’ve learned that the organization has added three more candidates to their interview list.

[RELATED: Buccaneers Fire ST Coordinator Thomas McGaughey]

The team announced yesterday that they completed an interview with Craig Aukerman. The long-time NFL coach has been a coordinator in multiple stops, including stints with the Chargers, Titans, and Dolphins. He’s coming off his first season as Miami’s special teams coordinator, but considering their search for a new head coach, there’s a good chance Aukerman will be seeking a new gig for 2026.

The Buccaneers then announced today that they interviewed Anthony Levine Sr. for the role. The long-time Ravens special teams ace got his coaching start in Baltimore, serving as a coaching assistant. He moved to the Titans in 2022 to serve as an assistant special teams coach, and he actually spent the 2023 campaign working under Aukerman. Levine moved back to the Ravens in 2025 to serve as an assistant ST coach.

Finally, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported today that the Buccaneers interviewed Eagles ST coordinator Michael Clay. While the coach isn’t under contract for the 2026 season, his contract doesn’t technically expire until next month, so the Eagles had to grant permission for the chat. Clay has been Philly’s special teams coordinator since the 2021 campaign.

The trio will join Lions assistant special teams coordinator Jett Modkins, who interviewed for the job earlier this week. These coaches will be looking to improve a Tampa Bay special teams unit that earned the third-lowest Pro Football Focus grade this past season.

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Mike McDaniel To Interview For Bucs’ OC Job

By | at January 14, 2026 4:45 pm

The Buccaneers will interview Mike McDaniel for their offensive coordinator vacancy on Friday, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman.

McDaniel, 42, was fired by the Dolphins last week after a disappointing 2025 campaign. But as one of the league’s top offensive minds, he is expected to land a job in this year’s hiring cycle, whether that be as a head coach or offensive coordinator. Currently, he is a head coaching candidate for the Falcons, Ravens, Browns, and Titans with offensive coordinator interest from the Lions, Eagles, and now, the Buccaneers.

McDaniel would prefer a “great OC opportunity” to a “not-great head coaching vacancy,” per Auman, though, of course, those qualifiers are entirely up to the coach’s judgement. At first glance, the Browns and Titans do not seem to be as appealing due to their lack of offensive firepower, though McDaniel would have a chance to mold a young quarterback with either team. The Ravens, of course, have Lamar Jackson, while the Falcons have an exciting array of young offensive weapons.

The Buccaneers would appear to fall into the “great OC opportunity” category. They have an established veteran quarterback in Baker Mayfield, a strong offensive line, and several playmakers at different positions. The unit’s struggles in 2025 seemed to be more related to their injuries, and new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard was not able to step into Liam Coen‘s shoes after he left for Jacksonville, especially as a play-caller.

McDaniel is proven as an architect and play-caller who could build on the foundation established by Coen and his predecessor, Dave Canales, while adding his own motion-heavy wrinkles into the playbook. He could use success in Tampa Bay to quickly springboard into another head coaching job, especially if he can help the Buccaneers overcome their playoff struggles under Todd Bowles.

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Todd Monken To Interview For Buccaneers’ OC Position

By | at January 13, 2026 9:50 am

The Buccaneers made a number of staffing changes shortly after their season ended. That included the expected dismissal of offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.

In the aftermath of Grizzard’s firing, a shortlist of replacement candidates emerged. Todd Monken is among the staffers who have been linked to Tampa Bay. That comes as no surprise since he spent three years (2016-18) as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator.

The sides will meet this week about a potential reunion. Monken will conduct an in-person interview for Tampa’s OC vacancy, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports. The summit will take place tomorrow, he adds. Monken was named this past weekend as someone of interest to Tampa Bay, so it certainly makes sense an interview will take place. As things stand, Monken is under contract with the Ravens as their OC, but the firing of John Harbaugh came about after he refused to consider making an offensive coordinator change.

With that in mind, there is a widespread expectation Monken will not be retained by the Ravens once their new head coach is in place. Head coaching interest has also emerged in Monken’s case from the Browns. The 59-year-old could find himself on the HC radar of other teams shortly, but another offensive coordinator opportunity would come as no surprise. Of those, the one in Tampa Bay would be an attractive one given the success seen when the team is fully healthy on offense.

That was not the case often in 2025, but Baker Mayfield along with an intriguing skill-position group and an offensive line anchored by left tackle Tristan Wirfs represents a strong core to work with. Some holdovers from Monken’s Tampa stint – including wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – are still with the team, although Evans is a pending free agent so a reunion in that case would not be assured.

Monken’s Bucs offenses finished mid-pack in scoring during each of his three seasons with the team. Tampa Bay ranked ninth in total offense in 2017, though, and followed that up with a third-place finish the following year. He would seek a repeat of that success in the event a return to the Buccaneers were to take place.

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Bucs To Interview Mike Kafka For OC Job

By | at January 12, 2026 7:47 pm

The Buccaneers are set to interview Mike Kafka for their offensive coordinator vacancy, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman.

Kafka, 38, has been the Giants’ offensive coordinator for the last four years. He was also named interim head coach after Brian Daboll was fired in November. Under Kafka, New York’s offense has never ranked higher than 13th in points or 15th in yards with bottom-five finishes in both categories in 2022 and 2023. He was working with a weak offensive roster, especially at quarterback, but at the same time, part of his task was developing that roster.

Kafka previously spent five years in Kansas City, including four seasons as the quarterbacks coach. In 2020, he added pass game coordinator to his title. The Chiefs offense was consistently one of the best in the NFL during his tenure, which featured the ascent of Patrick Mahomes into one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the sport. While Mahomes’ pure talent and Andy Reid‘s influence are largely credited for the unit’s success, Kafka seems to have been a key factor, too. After his departure in 2022, the Chiefs had one more season as the best offense in the NFL before falling to the middle of the league in the last three years.

In Tampa Bay, Kafka would be working with a more talented offense with improvement over the Giants’ players at nearly every position. The Buccaneers clearly felt that Josh Grizzard did not get enough out of the unit this past season and may be seeking a more experienced option. Kafka also has a connection to the franchise: during his playing career, he served as Tampa Bay’s backup quarterback for the 2014 season.

The Buccaneers are also looking for a replacement for special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who was fired along with Grizzard after the regular season. Lions assistant special teams coordinator Jett Modkins interviewed for the job on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Tampa Bay’s 60.6 special teams grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) was the third-lowest in the NFL this season, though their average starting field position ranked 12th. In contrast, the Lions have consistently fielded one of the top-graded special teams units in the NFL. Their 90.5 grade was the league’s sixth-best in 2025, and their average starting field position ranked fifth.

The two interviews are part of the Buccaneers’ major offseason staff shake-up after another disappointing end to their season. Head coach Todd Bowles is clearly willing to make some changes after a 35-33 record and one playoff win in the last four years.

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