Smith is entering his seventh year as a coach in the NFL. He comes to the Packers after spending the last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, first as the assistant defensive line coach in 2016-17 and then coaching outside linebackers last season. In 2018, Smith coached Dee Ford, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl after tying for the NFL lead with seven forced fumbles and tying for No. 2 among NFL linebackers with a career-high 13 sacks. Prior to Kansas City, Smith coached at his alma mater, Texas Tech, serving as the co-defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2015 and the defensive coordinator for the final nine games of 2014 while also coaching outside linebackers in 2014-15 and the defensive line in 2015. Smith began his NFL coaching career with the New York Jets as a coaching intern (2010-11) and then as an outside linebackers coach (2012). His first coaching position came at the University of Hawaii tutoring linebackers in 2009. The former Red Raider linebacker (2001-04) went on to play the same position for the Baltimore Ravens for four seasons (2005-08) before his career was cut short due to injuries.