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Arthur Smith leaves Steelers for college coaching job

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 7:04 PM ET

Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is heading back to college.

Smith is leaving the Steelers to become the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State, according to multiple reports. The Buckeyes needed a replacement for Brian Hartline, who left to become head coach at South Florida in December.

Sources: #Steelers OC Arthur Smith is expected to become the next offensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Smith has received multiple requests for NFL HC and OC interviews this cycle. Smith has engineered multiple top 10 offenses in the NFL, and now he lands in college. pic.twitter.com/TKlLEdwlmh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 24, 2026

Smith has no strong links to Columbus, but Ryan Day is clearly a fan of his work. He had actually been viewed as a potential head coach this cycle, but the job he was most likely to land went to Robert Saleh instead. In addition, the Steelers’ decision to hire Mike McCarthy, an offensive mind, as their new head coach likely meant Smith’s role in Pittsburgh was undefined at best.

In addition to his time as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Smith has been offensive coordinator with Tennessee. He last worked collegiately as a defensive intern at Ole Miss in 2010.

Ohio State is no stranger to hiring big-name NFL coaches as coordinators. Matt Patricia was brought in as their defensive coordinator prior to last season, while they also employed Chip Kelly as an offensive coordinator before his ill-fated stint with the Las Vegas Raiders.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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