Though Arthur Smith wasn’t tabbed to be the New York Jets’ next head coach and he’ll return to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sideline as their 2025 offensive coordinator, he still left a positive impression on the franchise. Had the Jets been unable to land Aaron Glenn, perhaps Smith would’ve been their backup plan.
In a nugget tucked away in a Monday article from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, he summarized the Jets’ search for their next head coach. It was an exhaustive interview list that included Smith and apparently had him on the short list of finalists.
“The Jets did have backup plans if this all fell through. They obviously liked Newmark and Brown, and interim GM Phil Savage did a nice job in his meeting with Woody Johnson, too. On the coaching side, Denver Broncos DC Vance Joseph, Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley and Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith all impressed them.”
Smith had just one known interview with New York. But it was hardly his first interaction with the franchise. Not only was Smith a runner-up to the Jets’ job in 2021, losing out to Robert Saleh, New York courted Smith to join the staff as an offensive consultant. But Pittsburgh offered a full-time coordinator job, making for an easy decision by Smith.
Though Pittsburgh collapsed by season’s end as their offense went into a shell, Smith still earned multiple head coaching interviews. He spoke with the Jets and Chicago Bears. The reason for Smith’s buzz hasn’t been spelled out but presumably has something to do with the flashes of quarterback play he squeezed out from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. Fields made progress and took better care of the ball, while Wilson for a few weeks looked like his old self. Smith also has a good reputation around the league as a hard worker and with generally successful running games, though the Steelers were inefficient on the ground.
If Pittsburgh’s offense can bounce back and hold steady throughout the entire 2025 season, Smith’s name could be popular during next year’s cycle. He’s still not regarded as the young bright whiz kid ready to become a head coach like Ben Johnson. But Smith would bring a combination of head coaching experience, relative youth (he turns 43 in May), and an old-school philosophy that could endear itself to old-school owners.
And if he eventually becomes the hire elsewhere, he’ll be the first Steelers’ coach poached in such fashion since Ken Whisenhunt in 2007. Even then, Whisenhunt left as the Steelers pivoted to Mike Tomlin, a different set of circumstances than what could happen next season. The last example of that would’ve come in 2004 when OC Mike Mularkey became the Buffalo Bills’ head coach.
