It’s now official. Arthur Smith is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ new offensive coordinator.
The team made the announcement Friday afternoon just a few days after reports that the team would make him the next offensive coordinator. He is just the second outside hire for offensive coordinator since 2001, joining Todd Haley, who was hired in 2012.
Smith replaces the duo of interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner and interim play caller Mike Sullivan as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2024. Smith signed a three-year deal, according to a previous report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
Prior to becoming the official offensive coordinator for the Steelers, Smith interviewed for the position on Sunday, shortly before the team headed to Mobile, Ala., for the 2024 Senior Bowl. He was previously fired by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2023 season following three years in that role.
“It’s such a unique opportunity to be able to work for an organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Smith said to Steelers.com. “With the history and the culture here, and the opportunity to work with Mike Tomlin, to me it’s a perfect cultural fit.”
Prior to his time in Atlanta, Smith was a hot commodity as an offensive mind and play caller, leading the Tennessee Titans to great heights offensively in 2019 and 2020. In those two seasons, Smith directed an elite rushing attack with the Titans led by Derrick Henry. In those two seasons, The Titans were second in carries, yards, and yards per carry, all while leading the league in rushing touchdowns.
Not only were the Titans a prolific rushing attack under Smith, they also were potent in the passing game. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 55 touchdowns in those two seasons, helping Tennessee finish top 10 in scoring both seasons, including No. 2 in 2020, setting franchise marks across the board offensively.
The Titans’ offensive explosion those two seasons led to Smith being hired as the Falcons’ head coach ahead of the 2021 season. Things didn’t go all that well in Atlanta for Smith though. There, Smith went 7-10 all three years and never led the Falcons to the playoffs. Atlanta imploded late in the 2023 season, losing four of its last five games, including the final two via blowouts, leading to Smith getting the pink slip.
Smith’s style of offense and the Steelers’ offensive personnel played a key role in the hiring as the two seem to mesh quite well on paper. For now, Faulkner and Sullivan both remain on staff with the Steelers, though Sullivan reportedly interviewed for NFL offensive coordinator jobs elsewhere before being passed over in Las Vegas and New Orleans.
