Special teams coordinator Danny Smith was one of the most experienced coaches on Mike Tomlin’s final Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. The same could be the case for Danny Crossman on Mike McCarthy’s first Steelers coaching staff.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Monday morning McCarthy is expected to hire Crossman as the team’s next special teams coordinator.
“Crossman, 59, has over two decades of NFL experience, most recently with the Dolphins,” wrote Pelissero on social media. “A key hire for Mike McCarthy.”
Crossman, 59, has over two decades of NFL experience, most recently with the Dolphins. A key hire for Mike McCarthy.
Before Crossman began his coaching career, he played defensive back for the Pitt Panthers in the late 1980s. Crossman earned team MVP honors during 1989, helping Pitt go 8-3-1 and win the Sun Bowl.
If officially hired, Crossman will replace Smith in Pittsburgh. Smith, a Central Catholic High School alum, served as Steelers special teams coordinator from 2013-25.
Steelers Hiring Danny Crossman as Special Teams Coordinator
McCarthy continues to be busy hiring assistants to his first coaching staff. Should Crossman come on board, the Steelers will have filled two of the three coordinator roles.
The Steelers hired Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator during the final week of January.
Crossman began his coaching career at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1993. He coached in various defensive assistant roles at the college level for a decade before his first NFL opportunity.
In 2003, Crossman became a special teams assistant for the Carolina Panthers. He coached the unit in Carolina from 2003-09.
Since 2010, Crossman has coordinator special teams for the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins. His most recent role was special teams coordinator for the Dolphins from 2019-24. He was also an assistant head coach for Miami in 2021 under Brian Flores.
Crossman didn’t coach in the NFL during 2025.
The former defensive back briefly appeared in the league as a player from 1990-92. He spent time on the then Washington Redskins and Lions rosters, but Crossman never appeared in an NFL regular season game.
Crossman played for the London Monarchs in NFL Europe from 1991-92.
Crossman’s Resume as Special Teams Coordinator
Crossman has a lot of coaching experience, which is a great fit for the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s previous special teams coordinator has been coaching NFL special teams units since 2001.
Ironically, both Smith and Crossman have Pittsburgh ties and previously coordinated the Bills special teams.
Smith left the Steelers this offseason for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams coordinator role. He departed shortly after Tomlin resigned as the team’s head coach. The Buccaneers hired Smith on January 20.
In some ways, Crossman has big shoes to fill. Under Smith, the Steelers excelled at blocking kicks and field goal kicking.
However, the Steelers have struggled in the return game for several years. Even under the league’s new dynamic kickoff rules, Smith’s units were not able to produce much in return yardage.
Crossman has a lot of experience but arrives in Pittsburgh perhaps with something to prove. Steelers Depot’s Joe Clark wrote Monday that Crossman’s Dolphins had the second-worst special teams unit, according to Rick Gosselin’s rankings. They were ranked 27th on the same list during 2022.
Steelers Expected to Hire Pitt Alum as Danny Smith Replacement: Report