STs coach Smith coming back for more

Special teams coach Danny Smith will return for at least another year, despite his units’ overall performance drop-off, in which punt and kickoff return yardage declined and opponent kickoff return yardage increased. The Bills also signed six other coaches, but their running backs coach or defensive line assistant coach were not among them.

The big news, of course, is that Smith is coming back. Under him, just field goal kicking and punting improved from 2001 to 2002, and much of that had to do with veteran Mike Hollis’ signing and punter Brian Moorman resting his leg in the off-season, instead of playing spring football in NFL Europe. In general, kick coverage struggled and the return game languished, despite Charlie Rogers’ presence.

The Bills also re-signed tight ends coach Dan Neal, defensive backs/cornerbacks coach Pat Thomas, receivers coach Fred Graves, safeties/third down defense coach Steve Jackson, offensive/special teams assistant Tommy Kaiser and defensive assistant Chuck Lester.

Just running backs coach Steve Fairchild and defensive line assistant O’Neil Gilbert are left.

The Bills hired former Bengal Tim Krumrie to coach the defensive line so it would appear that Gilbert is not in the picture for 2003.