Tracy Smith enters his third season as the special teams coordinator for Carolina. For the past 14 seasons, Smith has worked with NFL special teams units in San Francisco, Oakland, Houston, Seattle and now with the Panthers.
In his time with the Panthers, Smith has overseen one of the best kickoff coverage units in the league, finishing first and second each of the last two seasons respectively and combining to allow just 23.3 yards per return, the second-lowest average of any team over that span. Seven different players have recorded 10+ special teams tackles in a season in Smith's two years with Carolina, all of which were a then single-season best, including linebacker Thomas Incoom's team-leading 16 special teams tackles in 2025, the most by a Panther since 2012.
In 2025, Smith blended a group of veteran and rookie specialists together, as 13-year punter Sam Martin averaged 47.2 yards per punt, the fourth best average of his career, and highest since 2022. Martin also ranked ninth in the league with 27 punts placed inside the 20-yard line, moving into 20th place on the NFL's list since 1976. 48.2% of his punts were downed inside the 20, the sixth best in the league, while 19.6% of his punts were placed inside the 10, tied for the fifth most. Smith also oversaw kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, a rookie undrafted free agent who won the job in training camp, and came up clutch all season, as Fitzgerald went four-for-four on game-winning field goal attempts, tied for the most by a rookie since 2000.
Fitzgerald finished third in the league in 2025 in average opposing starting field position after kickoff return, compared to the other two rookie kickers with at least 25 kickoffs, who ranked 24th and 27th out of 39 players. The Panthers allowed just 22.6 yards per opposing kickoff return, second-lowest average in the league, and the second straight season that Smith and Carolina have finished top two in the category. As a result of their kickoffs and coverage, the Panthers defense allowed just a 19.7% touchdown rate on drives that started with a kickoff, the ninth best in the league.
In his first season as the Panthers special teams coordinator (2024), Smith oversaw a unit that led the NFL in opponent kickoff return average (24.3) and finished tied for fourth in opponent punt return average (6.8). Kicker Eddy Piñeiro became the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, with a career field goal percentage of 88.1% (111-for-126) and finished the season ranked seventh in Panthers history for all-time points scored (320). Following changes to the league's kickoff rules, running back Raheem Blackshear capitalized on increased kickoff return opportunities and ranked third in the NFL in kickoff return average (25.5), the fifth-highest mark in team history among qualified returners. Linebacker Jon Rhattigan led the team with a career-high 12 special teams tackles (six solo), which was tied for seventh in the NFL and tied for fourth in the NFC. Long-time long snapper J.J. Jansen played in his 260th career game, becoming one of 43 players in NFL history to appear in 260 career games. Punter Johnny Hekker recorded 70 punts,with 24 landing inside the 20-yard line.
Throughout Smith's three seasons with the Seahawks (2021-23), Seattle's special teams unit ranked in the top 10 in a number of categories, including fifth in net punting average (43.3), fifth in kickoff return average (24.5) and tied for ninth in field goals made (86), while their punt and kickoff coverage teamsranked first and sixth in that span, respectively.
Under Smith, kicker Jason Myers was selected to the 2022 Pro Bowl and made a franchise-record 37 consecutive field goals (11/11/19-09/26/21), tied for the fifth-longest streak in NFL history. PunterMichael Dickson finished with the seventh-best net punting average overall, including second in 2022 (44.3) and third in 2023 (44.1). Linebacker Nick Bellore was selected to the Pro Bowl as a special teamsplayer in 2023, and during his three seasons with Smith, notched the second most special teams tackles in the league (41).
After spending two seasons with the Texans as the assistant special teams coordinator (2018-19), Smith was elevated to special teams coordinator (2020). Over his three seasons in Houston, the Texans ranked fifth in field goals made (84) and 10th in punt return average (8.7), while also holding opponents to the second-lowest kickoff return average (19.9) and the fourth-lowest punt return average (6.0).
Smith spent three seasons with the Oakland Raiders (2015-17) as an assistant special teams coach. During Smith's tenure with the team, the Raiders special teams unit ranked fourth in punts inside of the 20-yard line (102), fifth in punting average (46.6), fifth in net punting average (41.3), eighth in kickoff return yards (2,540), ninth in punt returns (110) and 10th in punting yards (10,904).
With San Francisco from 2012-14, Smith helped produce one of the top special teams units in the NFL as the 49ers ranked in the top-10 in field goals made (tied for ninth, 86) and opponents punt return average (ninth, 8.3) during that span. San Francisco also ranked in the top five in net punting average (fourth, 41.3) and gross punting average (third, 47.5). Punter Andy Lee earned All-Pro honors after he led the NFL with a 43.2 net punting average in 2012, while kicker Phil Dawson set a franchise record with 27 consecutive field goals made in 2013.
Before his initial stint in Seattle as a coaching assistant in 2011, Smith's first NFL experience came with the Browns (2009-10), where he helped Cleveland lead the NFL in kickoff coverage, finished fifth in punt coverage and sent Josh Cribbs to the Pro Bowl as a kick returner in 2010.
Before making the jump to the NFL, Smith coached tight ends at Utah State (2006-08), and served as the offensive graduate assistant at LSU, working with the team's quarterbacks in 2005. Smith began his coaching career at Stephen F. Austin in 2004, working with the tight ends and serving as the team's video coordinator.
A native of Beaumont, Texas, Smith received a bachelor's degree in business while working for the athletic department's video staff at LSU.
Smith has a son, Troy, and he and his wife, Megan, have a daughter, Lane, and two sons, Bo and Mack. His father, Carl, has more than 45 years of coaching experience, including 38 seasons in the NFL and was hired to the Panthers staff in 2026 as Senior Offensive Consultant.
- 2004 | Stephen F. Austin - Tight Ends/Video Coordinator
- 2005 | LSU - Graduate Assistant/Offense
- 2006-08 | Utah State - Tight Ends
- 2009-10 | Cleveland Browns - Special Teams Assistant
- 2011 | Seattle Seahawks - Coaching Assistant
- 2012-14 | San Francisco 49ers - Special Teams Assistant
- 2015-17 | Oakland Raiders - Assistant Special Teams
- 2018-19 | Houston Texans - Assistant Special Teams Coordinator
- 2020 | Houston Texans - Special Teams Coordinator
- 2021-23 | Seattle Seahawks - Assistant Special Teams
- 2024-Pres. | Carolina Panthers - Special Teams Coordinator
