As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another one’s treasure. According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko, that could be the case with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arthur Smith.
After three consecutive 7-10 seasons, the Atlanta Falcons fired Smith as their head coach on January 8. Three days later, while answering a mailbag question, Batko proposed the idea of the Steelers considering Smith for their opening at offensive coordinator.
“[Smith’s] stellar work with a play action-heavy offense in Tennessee and reviving Ryan Tannehill’s career is why he got the keys in Atlanta to begin with. Hitching his wagon to Desmond Ridder at quarterback didn’t go so well for him, though,” Batko wrote. “Some folks aren’t head coach material but are still excellent at designing an offense and calling plays.
“Perhaps Smith fits that description, and there’s no doubt his reputation would align with the Steelers’ personnel and philosophy on offense.”
The Tennessee Titans finished in the top 12 in yards and points scored during back-to-back campaigns in Smith’s two seasons as offensive coordinator during 2019 and 2020.
In his second season, the Titans featured one of the best offenses in the league. They ended 2020 second in yards and fourth in points.
Arthur Smith’s Coaching Resume
Smith only had two years as an NFL offensive coordinator before becoming the Falcons head coach. But the 41-year-old has nearly two decades of coaching experience.
After one season as a graduate assistant at North Carolina, Smith began his NFL coaching career as defensive quality assistant for the then Washington Redskins in 2007. After two years in that role and a season as a defensive intern at Ole Miss, Smith joined the Titans staff as defensive quality control in 2011.
He slowly worked his way up the Tennessee coaching ladder. Smith remained on the Titans coaching staff for 10 years despite the fact the organization changed head coaches three times.
Smith became the Titans tight ends coach in 2016 under Mike Mularkey. He remained in that role in 2018 when the Titans hired Mike Vrabel to replace Mularkey.
Then in 2019, Smith received the opportunity to call the team’s offensive plays as offensive coordinator. Smith’s success rejuvenating quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s career and establishing Derrick Henry as the best running back in the league led to his next opportunity as head coach of the Falcons.
But in Atlanta, Smith was unable to create that same success with either Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder behind center. The Falcons never finished in the top half of points scored or offensive yards in three years with Smith as head coach.
How Arthur Smith Could Fit as Steelers Offensive Coordinator
Posting a 21-30 record as Falcons head coach, Smith isn’t likely to get another head coaching opportunity for 2024. But while things went sour in Atlanta, he could still be a quality offensive play caller.
As Batko argued, some coaches are simply better suited for a coordinator role as opposed to head coach.
Smith’s desire to establish a running game should be appealing to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. In three of the past four seasons, Smith’s offenses have finished top three in rushing attempts and in the top 10 in yards.
Despite the quarterback issues in Atlanta, the Falcons were third in rushing during 2022 and ninth this past season.
Smith also uses the running game to create openings down the field with play-action passes.
That makes Smith an interesting potential offensive coordinator candidate for the Steelers. Schematically, he matches a lot of what Pittsburgh wants to accomplish on offense.
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Recently Fired Head Coach Pegged as Possible Steelers OC Candidate