Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is opening up about why he chose to leave the NFL and join the Buckeyes. Smith was hired by Ohio State in January and recently spoke in a media availability about why he decided to join the team.
“First, most importantly, was the respect I have for Coach Day, and he reached out, we had a good conversation and came down here and spent some time with him. And just kind of weighed my options, and I'd had such a good experience with some of the players that have come through here that I've gotten the privilege to coach, so I was intrigued,” Smith said Tuesday in his first interview session at Ohio State. “Kind of weighed my options, and talked to a lot of people, including Mike Vrabel, who's a great Buckeye, he’s a great friend of mine, and it just made sense.”
Ironically, Smith and Ryan Day did not have a strong relationship. According to Smith, they crossed paths at the Ohio State Pro Day, but he was impressed by the quality of the program and by the players Ohio State has developed who are succeeding at the next level.
“I didn't know him really well personally. We had crossed paths; I had talked to him the last couple of years coming through here on Pro Day, and obviously knew a lot of people that had played for him or worked with him, and had a lot of mutual admiration from afar,” Smith said. “I knew it from afar because I love the history of this game, and I understand how important this place is, especially in the history of football.”
Smith's time with the Steelers ended following Mike Tomlin's resignation from the team following their Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans. Per Smith, he weighed his options before choosing to head back to college football.
“I was just kind of trying to weigh my options, the way that the season ended abruptly … it kind of hits you fast in these cycles,” Smith said. “But Coach Day was awesome. Getting a couple days, kind of weighed everything, talked to people, and I'm really just excited to get an opportunity, something different.”
This isn't Smith's first time working at the college level. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, he served as a graduate assistant in the 2006season while working with offensive linemen for the Tar Heels. In 2007, he worked as a college scouting assistant in Washington, then moved to Ole Miss in 2010 as an administrative assistant and defensive intern, working with the linebackers for the Rebels.
