Role: Defensive Line Coach
Previous Role: Defensive Run Game Coordinator & OLB Coach
Previous Team: Tennessee Titans
Age: 39
The Raiders officially announced the return of DL coach Travis Smith, who returned to Las Vegas after roughly 5 years away from the franchise with the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans. Smith, who was slated to return to the Titans next season as their OLB coach, rejoins the Raiders, Maxx Crosby, and others in Las Vegas to coach the defensive line. Smith, just 39 years old, brings extensive coaching history to the Raiders working under a variety of coaching staffs, and a variety of different systems.
Experience
Smith started his career at Santa Monica JC in 2010 as a TE assistant where he was till 2011. In 2012 the Raiders hired Smith as a defensive quality control coach, where he spent time till 2013 transitioning to an assistant DL coach and then an assistant DL coach in 2014. Smith transitioned to a quality control coach in 2015 and 2016, before being named the Raiders OLB coach in 2017 & 2018. Smith would then transition to the assistant DL coach in 2019-2021 before leaving for the Bears DL coach position in 2022. Smith would serve with the Bears till 2024, where he joined the Titans as their OLB coach and run game coordinator.
*I won’t be touching on experience more than a decade old, for any of these breakdowns unless it’s a very key thing to note*
Oakland Raiders (2014)
Smith assisted the Raiders as an assistant DL coach under Dennis Allen & defensive line coach Terrell Williams. The Raiders saw Khalil Mack post 76 tackles, 16 TFL, 12 QB hits, 4 sacks, 3 PBU, and 54 pressures in his rookie season while ranking 1st among rookie DL in TFL and pressures. Additionally veteran Justin Tuck added 35 pressures, 2 FF, 5 sacks, 11 TFL, and 15 QB hits.
Oakland Raiders (2017-2018)
2017 was Smith’s first chance running a position group himself where he saw Khalil Mack post 10.5 sacks, 15 TFL, 22 QB hits, 79 pressures, and a 17% win rate while also making his fourth NFL pro bowl. Additionally, fellow pass rusher Bruce Irvin added 41 pressures, 8 sacks, 14 TFL, and 12 QB hits with 4 FF. Mack and Irvin would combine for 15.5 sacks, an NFL leading 29 TFL, and also ranked 3rd in sacks with 18.5. The two combined for 120 pressures which was the 2nd most among NFL pass rush duos in 2017. Smith also oversaw the development of linebacker Nicholas Morrow who posted 60 tackles, 5 TFL, and 4 PBU in 16 games as a UDFA, additionally Cory James added 56 tackles, 6 TFL, and a FF. In 2018, the Raiders moved on from Mack and the team relied heavily upon youth at the position. Smith helped oversee rookie Arden Key post 30 tackles, 4 TFL, 11 QB hits, and a sack while also finishing first on the roster with 31 pressures and a 11.2% win rate. Veteran Bruce Irvin played 8 games logging 3 sacks, 3 TFL, 7 QB hits, and 11 pressures along with a 11.8% win rate. The Raiders finished the season with just 13 sacks, and limited production from their EDGE rushers which beyond Key & Irvin included Frostee Rucker, and Shilique Calhoun.
Oakland Raiders (2019-2021)
Smith transitioned to an assistant DL coach role in 2019, where the Raiders shifted away from the old system forcing Smith to come down to a true assistant DL role instead of focusing only on EDGE rushers. The Raiders saw Maxx Crosby post 10 sacks, 16 TFL, and 15 QB hits along with 4 FF and a 2nd place finish for DROY. Benson Mayowa logged 7 sacks, 30 pressures, and 15% which was a career high marks in each stat. Rookie Clelin Ferrell posted 26 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 8 TFL, and 8 QB hits along with 7.5% win rate. The Raiders pass rush also saw some impacts from Mo Hurst (38 pressures, 41 pressures, 12.5% win rate), Dion Jordan, Arden Key, PJ Hall, and Johnathan Hankins. The team ranked 22nd in sacks, 26th in pressure rate, and 11th in hurry rate.
2020 and 2021 were also beneficial to Smith’s development with the Raiders ranking 28th in sacks, 18th in pressure rate, 19th in hit rate, 14th in win rate, and 4th in hurry rate for the 2020 season. Maxx Crosby posted 7 sacks, 14 TFL, and 13 QB hits with veterans Carl Nassib, Kendal Vickers, and Johnathan Hankins also contributing to the defensive line. 2nd year pass rusher Clelin Ferrell turned in 27 tackles, 3 TFL, 11 QB hits, and 2.5 sacks. 2021 saw Las Vegas rank 19th in sacks, 17th in pressure rate, 11th in win rate, 3rd in QB hits, and 24th in hurry rate. Additionally, the team saw Maxx Crosby post a career season with 8 sacks, 13 TFL, 30 QB hits, 7 PBU, 108 pressures, and a 25.2% win rate along with a steep improvement as a run defender. Yannick Ngakoue turned in 10 sacks, 23 QB hits, and 63 pressures while Quinton Jefferson added 50 pressures, 5 sacks, and 16 QB hits. The trio led the NFL in pressures (by 40), and was 14th in sacks while also 2nd in QB hits. Veterans Solomon Thomas, Darius Philon, and Carl Nassib turned in decent seasons while rookie Malcolm Koonce added 7 pressures, 2 sacks, and a 31.7% win rate in just 55 snaps.
Chicago Bears (2022-2024)
Smith got his start in 2022 with a horrific DL, the team saw Jaquan Brisker lead the team in sacks with 4. Justin Jones added 3 sacks, 12 TFL, 9 QB hits, 27 pressures, and 5.6% win rate. Jones would have his two best seasons with Smith as his DL coach recording 101 tackles, 22 TFL, 24 QB hits, 7.5 sacks, 72 pressures, and 34 run stops through 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Smith helped develop Gervon Dexter into one of the better young defensive tackles in the NFL recording 7.5 sacks, 71 tackles, 4 TFL, 31 QB Hits, 68 pressures, and a 12.8% win rate through 2023 and 2024. Additionally, Trevis Gipson would post a career high in pressures, TFL, QB hits, and win rate in 2022 despite his 7 sacks in 2021. The 2022 Bears ranked 32nd in sacks, 31st in win rate, 32nd in pressure rate, 32nd in hurry rate, and 31st in QB hits.
In 2023, the Bears attempted to address their DL to help Justin Jones, adding veteran Montez Sweat at the deadline who posted 5 sacks, 25 tackles, 4 TFL, and 14 QB hits along with a 15% win rate and 33 pressures through nine games. Sweat also recorded 5.5 sacks, 32 tackles, 9 TFL, 12 QB hits, and 2 FF in 2024 with another 51 pressures and 18% win rate in 2024. Sweat would see career highs in pressures, win rate, and TFL for 2023. Veterans Yannick Ngakoue turned in 4 sacks, 6 TFL, and 7 QB hits plus 34 pressures. DeMarcus Walker added 51 pressures (a career high) and another career high of a 12% win rate on 3.5 sacks, 9 TFL, and 17 QB hits. The Bears ranked 11th vs the run, 19th in pass defense, and their defensive line ranked 31st in sacks, 20th in win rate, 27th in pressure rate, 14th in QB hits, and 19th in hurry rate. 2024 was a massive season for Smith, with his unit ranking 14th in sacks, 7th in pressure rate, 7th in win rate, 4th in hit rate, and 19th in hurry rate. While the team didn’t have one double digit sack production, Montez Sweat & Gervon Dexter continued to develop and build upon past seasons while Chris Williams and Andrew Billing saw career seasons. Veterans Jacob Martin, Darrell Taylor, Byron Cowart, Austin Booker, Zacch Pickens, and DeMarcus Walker also turned in 2+ sacks.
Tennessee Titans (2025)
Smith joined the Titans in 2025 mainly focusing as a run game coordinator, where Tennessee ranked 15th in rush yards/game, 29th in rushing TD, 13th in yards/attempt, 13th in rush/EPA, 11th in EPA/attempt, and 11th in first downs allowed. The Titans OLB also saw some quality production with Jihad Ward posting 5 sacks, 48 pressures, 22 QB hits, and a 9% win rate. Additionally, Arden Key turned in 33 pressures, 11% win rate, 4 sacks, 6 TFL, and 11 QB hits. UDFA Jaylen Harrell was a breakout player with 20 pressures, 8% win rate, 4.5 sacks, 5 TFL, and 8 QB hits. Additionally, the team saw Olu Oladejo with 7 pressures and a 7% win rate. Smith also assisted with the ILB where Cedric Gray was named an All Pro and Cody Barton posted the most tackles in his career since 2021.
Philosophy
Smith is pretty diverse up front, he’s focused heavily on stunts and twists, but the biggest aspect comes on the interior defensive line. Smith relies on his EDGE rushers to traditionally line up, pin their ears back, and just get at the quarterback. He consistently runs a four man front, but will rotate to 3, 5, and true NASCAR type packages which the Raiders implemented in 2021 and he utilized in Chicago for their 2nd half 2023 and full 2024 season. Smith makes an emphasis of the interior being disruptive, consistently getting the most out of his interior pass rushers such as Mo Hurts, Jared Jones, Andrew Billings, and Gervon Dexter who have all performed above expectations. Additionally, Smith is focused on minute details, constant disruption, and an emphasis on creating havoc utilizing linebackers and such, where his DL units (defense as a whole) ranked top 10 in blitz rate each of 2022-2024 which has been noted to his advocation as well.
Players to Watch, Connections:
The Titans struggled in 2025, but saw some quality play from a few of the mentioned players above. Veteran pass rushers Arden Key and Jihad Ward are both slated to hit the market, and Ward coming off a career best season could look to reunite with Smith and also the Raiders. Additionally, defensive tackle James Lynch is slated to hit the market from Tennessee this off-season. The Cardinals waived Justin Jones this off-season, and the veteran defensive tackle is still a free agent after suffering an injury. Jones had his career best seasons with Smith, and the Raiders need to add veterans to their defensive line, so a reunion seems very possible. Veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings is also set to hit free agency from Chicago this off-season, and could reunite in Las Vegas with the Raiders & Smith. DeMarcus Walker played just 1 game this off-season for the Commanders but in two seasons with Smith had 7 sacks, 77 pressures, 16 TFL, 32 QB hits, and 88 pressures providing a key depth and versatile aspect. The Bears may release Montez Sweat, who at 30 is coming off a strong season and could reunite with Smith in Las Vegas as well opposite Maxx Crosby. Former Raiders defensive tackle Mo Hurst is also a free agent and could follow Smith back to Las Vegas.
See More:
