Staff Directory
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator
Arthur Smith, a veteran NFL offensive coordinator and former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, was hired by Ryan Day as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator in January 2026. He brought 17 years of NFL experience to Columbus, including the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with prior stops as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.
Most recently in Pittsburgh, Smith helped engineer immediate offensive improvement in 2024 as the Steelers increased their production in total offense, rushing offense and scoring. In 2025, he helped head coach Mike Tomlin guide Pittsburgh to an AFC North title and playoff appearance, highlighted by the team’s highest scoring average since 2020 and an efficient season from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who posted his best completion percentage and fewest interceptions in five years.
Smith served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-23, where his teams were consistently among the NFL’s top rushing offenses and emphasized discipline and efficiency. The Falcons led the NFL in fewest penalties in 2022 and produced several standout young playmakers, including tight end Kyle Pitts, who became just the second rookie tight end in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards, along with Drake London and Bijan Robinson, who each turned in record-setting rookie campaigns.
Prior to his time in Atlanta, Smith established himself as one of the NFL’s top offensive minds as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and 2020. He directed one of the league’s most explosive and efficient offenses, highlighted by Derrick Henry’s 2,027-yard rushing season in 2020 – one of only eight 2,000-yard rushing performances in NFL history. Under Smith’s guidance, the Titans consistently ranked among the league leaders in total offense, rushing, efficiency and explosive plays, while quarterback Ryan Tannehill earned Pro Bowl honors and led the NFL in passer rating in 2019.
Overall, Smith spent a decade with the Titans organization (2011-20), working his way up from defensive assistant and quality control roles to tight ends coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator. He also spent two seasons with the Washington Commanders (2007-08) as a defensive quality control coach and began his NFL career as a college scouting assistant. In 2010, he served as a defensive intern at Ole Miss after starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Carolina in 2006.
Known for his ability to develop offensive talent, Smith is the only offensive coordinator or head coach in modern NFL history to produce seven different 1,000-yard-from-scrimmage running backs over a seven-year span. Quarterbacks under his direction – including Ryan Tannehill, Matt Ryan and others – have seen significant increases in efficiency and winning percentage, with Smith-coached quarterbacks winning nearly 60 percent of their starts from 2019-25.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Smith played offensive line at North Carolina, where he earned his degree before beginning his coaching career.
He and his wife, Allison, have two sons, Tanner and Liam, and one daughter, Sophie.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2024-25)
Smith spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, helping lead the franchise to back-to-back playoff appearances and 10-win seasons in both years directing the offense.
In his first season, Smith built one of the NFL’s most physical rushing attacks as Pittsburgh ranked 11th in the league in rushing offense at 127.4 yards per game and finished fourth in the NFL with 533 rushing attempts. The Steelers leaned heavily on the ground game behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren while establishing a tough, ball-control offensive identity. Additionally, Smith worked with former Ohio State QB Justin Fields during that season.
The offense took a step forward in Smith’s second season where he worked with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh captured the AFC North title and produced its highest offensive touchdown total since 2020. The Steelers averaged 23.4 points per game and scored 42 offensive touchdowns while showing improved balance, explosiveness and efficiency throughout the season. Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, his best totals in five seasons. Additionally, the Steelers remained one of the NFL’s most physical rushing teams, ranking among the league leaders in rushing attempts, with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren leading the ground game.
Atlanta Falcons (2021-23)
Smith was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 15, 2021, and compiled 21 victories over three seasons.
In his first season in 2021, Smith guided Atlanta to a 7-10 record and a third-place finish in the NFC South. He earned his first career win in Week 3 against the New York Giants after opening the season against Philadelphia. In 2022, Atlanta again finished 7-10, showing significant improvement in the run game under Smith’s direction. The Falcons led the NFL in rushing attempts and ranked third in rushing yards, with the ground attack increasing by 74.5 yards per game from the previous season – the largest one-year improvement in the league in more than two decades. Veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota opened the season before rookie Desmond Ridder took over late in the year.
In 2023, the Falcons posted a 7-10 record, and the team showed flashes of offensive production recording 400-plus yards in six games – tied for the fourth-most in a single season in franchise history – and finishing ninth in the NFL in rushing offense. Atlanta was also one of only two teams in the league to pair a top 10 rushing attack with a top five opponent pressure rate, reflecting complementary team development.
First-round pick Bijan Robinson emerged as one of the NFL’s top rookies in 2023, totaling 1,463 yards from scrimmage – the second-most among rookies – and setting a franchise record for a rookie. He led all NFL rookies with 976 rushing yards, recorded eight total touchdowns and set team rookie marks for receptions by a running back (58) and games with 100-plus yards from scrimmage (six). Robinson also became just the fifth rookie in NFL history to post at least 1,400 yards from scrimmage, 55 receptions and four receiving touchdowns in a season.
Smith also oversaw the development of several young offensive playmakers during his tenure. Tight end Kyle Pitts became just the second rookie tight end in NFL history in 2021 to surpass 1,000 receiving yards and earned Pro Bowl honors, while Drake London set a franchise rookie record with 72 receptions in 2022. In 2023, Pitts (667 yards) and Jonnu Smith (582 yards) became the first tight end duo in the NFL to each record 500-plus receiving yards in a season since 2019.
Tennessee Titans (2011-20)
In 2020, Smith was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and he guided the Titans offense to be one of the best in the NFL, ranking first or second in multiple categories, including plays of 50+ yards (1st), pass plays of 50+ yards (1st), total offense (2nd), rushing offense (2nd), yards/rush (2nd), red-zone efficiency (2nd), runs of 20+ yards (20, 3rd), yards/play (6.2, 4th), runs of 10+ yards (70, 4th) and third-down conversion rate (46.2, 5th).
The Titans offense averaged 2.86 points/drive in 2020, which led the NFL and ranks as the eighth-best single-season mark in the NFL since 2000. The Titans scored touchdowns on 35.9% of their drives in 2020, which ranks as the fourth-best single-season mark in the NFL since 2000. Additionally, star tailback Derrick Henry rushed for 2,027 yards and became the eighth player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. Henry's 2,027 yards rank fifth all-time in NFL history and helped the Titans become the NFL's second-ranked offense.
The Titans were among the NFL's top teams in red zone efficiency in Smith's time as offensive coordinator. Their red zone touchdown percentages in 2019 (75.6) and in 2020 (75.0) ranked fourth and fifth respectfully in best single-season marks in the NFL since 2000.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill saw his career take a turn for the better under Smith, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers of America in 2019.
In 2019, the Titans were third in rushing, with 138.9 yards per game, and led the NFL in red-zone efficiency (75.6 %).
During his time with the Titans, he worked under multiple head coaches, including Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Mularkey, and Mike Vrabel.
In his first eight seasons with the Titans, he served as tight ends coach (2016-18), assistant tight ends coach (2014-15), offensive line/tight ends assistant coach (2013), offensive quality control coach (2012), and defensive quality control coach (2011).
Background
Smith, who was an offensive lineman for UNC from 2001-05, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for his alma mater in 2006 under John Bunting. He entered the NFL ranks in 2007 as a defensive quality control coach with Washington, where he spent two seasons (2007-08) gaining experience on both the defensive side of the ball and in organizational operations, including a role as a college scouting assistant. Smith returned to the college level in 2010, serving as a defensive intern and administrative assistant at Ole Miss, where he worked primarily with the linebackers.
Family
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Smith and his wife, Allison, have two sons, Tanner and Liam, and one daughter, Sophie.
Coaching History
|
Seasons |
School/Team |
Title/Position Coached |
|
2026-Present |
Ohio State |
Offensive Coordinator |
|
2024-25 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Offensive Coordinator |
|
2021-23 |
Atlanta Falcons |
Head Coach |
|
2019-20 |
Tennessee Titans |
Offensive Coordinator |
|
2016-18 |
Tennessee Titans |
Tight Ends Coach |
|
2014-15 |
Tennessee Titans |
Assistant Tight Ends Coach |
|
2013 |
Tennessee Titans |
Assistant Offensive Line Coach |
|
2012 |
Tennessee Titans |
Offensive Quality Control |
|
2011 |
Tennessee Titans |
Defensive Quality Control |
|
2010 |
Ole Miss |
Defensive Intern / Administrative Assistant |
|
2007-08 |
Washington Redskins |
Defensive Quality Control |
|
2006 |
North Carolina |
Graduate Assistant |
