Pittsburgh wasted little time going from interviewing Arthur Smith to hiring him as the Steelers’ next offensive coordinator. According to SI’s Albert Breer, that was intentional. Smith agreed to a three-year contract to become the team’s next OC and, in doing so, canceled his plans to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And several other pending trips.
In his latest column, Breer says Smith was vacationing in the Maldives when he set up his interview with the Steelers. Flying into Pittsburgh, he planned on leaving to interview with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tomlin prevented him from needing to board that flight.
“He met with Tomlin on Monday and into Tuesday, with plans to travel to Tampa on Tuesday night and interview for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC job,” Breer wrote. “But with Smith’s run-game ingenuity, overall offensive creativity, and work with quarterbacks, the Steelers and Tomlin saw the fit, and then worked to make sure he wouldn’t get on the plane to Florida.”
Breer added up to six teams were interested in speaking with Smith to either be their offensive coordinator or assistant. Smith told Tomlin Pittsburgh would be his first stop. As it turned out, it would be his only stop. It’s worth noting the Steelers announced the Smith interview on Sunday, not Monday, but the details of the timeline don’t matter much anymore.
Tampa Bay had a coordinator vacancy after losing Dave Canales, now the Carolina Panthers’ new head coach. Geographically, that would’ve fit Smith better, who was born in Tennessee, coached the Titans for years, and had just finished a three-year stint in Atlanta.
Instead, he’ll replace Matt Canada as the team’s permanent offensive coordinator. RBs Coach Eddie Faulkner served in the interim role while QBs Coach Mike Sullivan called the plays. Unless Sullivan gets a coordinator job in Las Vegas or New Orleans, he’s expected to remain on staff. Beyond the hire of Smith and perhaps one or two other minor moves, the Steelers’ offensive staff could look the same in 2024.
Smith is only the team’s second outside hire of any offensive or defensive coordinator since 2001. Todd Haley was the other, hired as the Steelers’ OC in 2012 and spending five seasons with the team. While Smith isn’t viewed as the most popular choice, he isn’t the exciting up-and-comer other names would’ve offered, the NFL thought highly of him and he was bound to coordinate someone’s offense this season. Now, it’ll be Pittsburgh’s.
