The University of North Carolina fired Mack Brown as their head football coach earlier today, and one name that’s emerged as a candidate to replace him is Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. A UNC alum, Smith was listed by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman as a candidate for their head-coaching job.
“One potentially intriguing option with very strong ties at North Carolina is Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who we hear has some traction with key people in Chapel Hill. Smith played offensive line at UNC and began his coaching career there as a graduate assistant,” Feldman writes.
Smith was one of 11 names referenced by Feldman, so by no means does it mean there’s a high likelihood Smith will leave the Steelers. But he does have prior head-coaching experience with the Atlanta Falcons, although taking the UNC job would mean leaving the NFL for the first time since joining the Tennessee Titans in 2011.
Smith played at UNC from 2001-05 and served as a graduate assistant there in 2006. He left after one season to be a defensive quality control coach in the NFL for Washington, where he spent two seasons before returning to college to spend 2010 at Ole Miss. Since then, Smith has only coached in the NFL, and the changing collegiate landscape with NIL would mean Smith is entering a world with which he’s not as familiar.
But coaching at his alma mater could be a pull, and Feldman notes that having his father, the founder of FedEx, help potentially bankroll some NIL initiatives could also be a draw. It’s still early in the process, with Brown just being fired earlier today, and UNC and Smith likely wouldn’t have many discussions while the Steelers’ season is still going on. If UNC wants to have a coach in place quickly to get ready to attack the transfer portal and the offseason, it likely won’t be Smith.
Still, his name is worth watching for the vacancy given his ties to the school. A successful return to college could also keep him as a name to watch as a head-coaching candidate in the NFL. Given how long it’s been since Smith coached in college and the changing tide of college athletics, it might also take a hefty salary to get him to leave the NFL.
We’ll see how fast UNC wants to move in its head-coaching search, and if the Tar Heels take their time finding their next head coach, it could be a sign that they’re interested in bringing in Smith.
