Buccaneers Officially Sign DC Mike Smith To Multi-Year Deal

Update:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they’ve agreed to a multi-year contract with DC Mike Smith on Friday.

“I am excited about what we are building here in Tampa Bay and would like to thank the Glazer family, Jason Licht and Dirk Koetter for showing faith in what we are doing on the defensive side of the ball,” said Smith. “I think we grew quite a bit as a defense this past season and I look forward to working with my staff and our players to continue building upon what we have started. While I did have a chance to speak with a few organizations about head coaching opportunities earlier this offseason, it became very clear to me that I am in an ideal situation here with the Buccaneers. For the next couple years, I am fully committed and focused on my role with Dirk and the organization and will not be pursuing head coaching opportunities during this time.”

“Mike Smith is quite simply one of the best coaches I have had the opportunity to work with and I am thrilled to know that he has committed to remain with us for the foreseeable future,” said HC Dirk Koetter. “In addition to being a great teacher on the field and in the meeting rooms, Mike has consistently been able to get the most out of his players and that was never more evident than this past season. The growth and exceptional play of our defense in the second half of the season played a major factor in our success and Mike, along with the rest of the defensive staff, deserves much of that credit. I can’t say enough about the job he did this past season and I am excited to have him leading our defense for years to come.”

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Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that the Buccaneers have agreed to terms on an extension with DC Mike Smith.

Smith withdrew his name from the Chargers’ head-coaching job, despite a report from earlier in the day that he was a top candidate for the position.

It wasn’t long after that the Chargers finalized a deal with Anthony Lynn to be their next head coach.

This is a great move for the Buccaneers, as Smith really helped to turn around their defensive unit this past season and will now look to build on their 2016 success.

Smith, 57, spent seven years as the Falcons’ head coach and led them to a record of 66 and 46 (58.9 percent) to go along with four playoff appearances and a trip to the NFC Championship game in 2012.

In 2016, Smith’s defense ranked No. 15 in points allowed, No. 23 total yards allowed, No. 22 rushing yards allowed and No. 22 passing yards allowed.