Buccaneers hire Mike Smith as defensive coordinator

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have landed one of the league's most respected defensive minds to work alongside new head coach Dirk Koetter.

The team is hiring veteran coach Mike Smith as its defensive coordinator heading into the 2016 season, Koetter announced Friday at his introductory press conference.

Smith spent five seasons as the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator from 2003-07, overseeing a unit that ranked no lower than 12th in total yardage over that span.

The highly successful stint earned him a head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons in 2008, where he'd go on to post an impressive 66-46 record and make four playoff appearances over the next seven seasons.

Smith's proven track record as a coordinator should have the defense in good hands as Koetter continues to call plays on the offensive side. His experience as a head coach, meanwhile, will almost certainly benefit Koetter as he steps into a lead role at the NFL level for the first time.