Keith Tandy begins his fifth season as defensive/special teams assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
Tandy coached rookie defensive back Josh Hayes to a league-leading 14 special teams tackles in 2023, the most by any Tampa Bay player in a single season since 2014. Hayes also became the first Buccaneer to lead the league in special teams tackles since Dwight Smith tied for the league lead in 2001. Additionally, Tandy guided new Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin to a franchise single-season record for field goal percentage (93.5%) and punter Jake Camarda to a team single-season record for yards per punt (50.1). Camarda led the league in punts of 60+ yards with 18, while McLaughlin ranked tied for seventh in field goal percentage on the year, converting 29-of-31 field goals attempted and all 33 extra-points attempted.
During the 2022 season, Tandy helped develop a number of rookies into core special teams players, with Buccaneers rookies leading all NFL rookie classes in total special teams tackles (44) and finishing with the fifth-most special teams snaps as a class (1,506). Individually, rookie tight end Ko Kieft recorded 11 special teams tackles, which tied for the third-most among all rookies in 2022. Tandy also helped to mold a punt return unit that finished second in the NFL in total return yards (391) and 10th in punt return average (10.3 yards per return).
In 2021, Tandy helped develop and mentor rookie wide receiver Jaelon Darden into becoming the team's leader in both kick returning (359) and punt returning (142). His 359 kickoff return yards were the most by a Buccaneers' returner since Bobby Rainey in 2015. Darden's 43-yard punt return in Week 7 was the eighth- longest punt return by any player during the 2021 NFL season.
Tandy was a member of the coaching staff for Tampa Bay's Super Bowl LV championship season in his first year with the team in 2020. During the team's playoff run, Tandy assisted with a special teams unit that helped Jaydon Mickens set a franchise record for the most kickoff return yards in a single postseason, with 222. Mickens' 121 kick return yards in the NFC Championship Game vs. Green Bay also set a single-game franchise playoff record. In Week 3 of the regular season, Patrick O'Connor blocked a Denver Broncos' punt, marking the team's first punt block since December 27, 2015.
Prior to arriving in Tampa Bay, Tandy most recently worked at his alma mater, West Virginia, as an intern with the football program, after beginning his coaching career at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill, Florida in 2019.
Prior to entering the coaching ranks, Tandy enjoyed a seven-year NFL career as a safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-17) and Atlanta Falcons (2018). Over 90 career games, including 15 starts, Tandy amassed 179 tackles, 14 passes defensed, eight interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and 1.0 sack. Tandy was also played a key role on special teams throughout his career, recording multiple special teams tackles in each of his six seasons with the Buccaneers.
Tandy entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick (174th overall), following his collegiate career as defensive back for West Virginia, in which he recorded 188 tackles (eight for loss), 13 interceptions, 37 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery over 45 career games (2008-11) on his way to two first team All-Big East selections. He graduated from West Virginia in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Biology.
A native of Hopkinsville, Ky., and the youngest of four, Tandy was a three-sport athlete at Christian County High School, playing football, basketball and baseball. He threw a single-season record 32 touchdown passes as a senior in 2007.
He and his wife, Melissa, have three children, Julian, Penelope and Gianna.
