For the third consecutive offseason, Ohio State's coaching staff underwent a significant change as Ryan Day had to replace one of his coordinators.
And for the second consecutive time, Day looked to the NFL for an answer.
Following Brian Hartline's departure for a Group of Five head coaching opportunity, Day tabbed former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to take over play-calling duties for a Buckeyes offense headlined by Heisman Trophy hopefuls Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith.
Smith is the latest big name to come to Columbus to be part of Day's staff, following in the footsteps of former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly — a decision that
kick-started this trend as it came when Day gave up his play-calling duties — and Matt Patricia, who willed the Buckeyes' defense into one of the nation's top units last season.
In Week 1 against Ball State, Ohio State's offense erupted for 56 points and 671 total yards, including 434 passing yards from Sayin, who finished as a Heisman finalist last season. Sayin threw three touchdowns, while two Buckeyes backups added touchdown passes of their own.
The game plan for Smith in Week 2, of course, will be a difficult one as the Buckeyes take on No. 3 Texas on the road, a defense that has held Smith rather quiet in meetings the last two seasons.
Here's what to know:
Who is Ohio State's offensive coordinator?
Ohio State's offensive coordinator is Arthur Smith, a former North Carolina offensive lineman who played primarily under John Bunting before going on to become an NFL head coach. Smith is the second former NFL head coach to serve as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator, joining Chip Kelly.
His hiring at Ohio State marked a return to the college ranks for Smith, whose last collegiate role came as an intern at Ole Miss in 2010.
As the story goes, according to Joey Kauffman of the Columbus Dispatch — part of the USA TODAY Network — when Day reached out to Smith for his interest in the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator job, the former Falcons' head coach needed former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, whom Smith coached as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, to confirm Day's number.
"I met him over the years," Smith said. "But didn’t know him well."
Smith spent the past two seasons as Mike Tomlin's offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he worked with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and helped lead the team to an AFC North title and a playoff appearance last season. Before his stint in Pittsburgh, Smith served as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, further building a reputation for developing young offensive talent, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
He landed his first head coaching opportunity after a successful 10-year stint with the Tennessee Titans, which ended with two seasons as the offensive coordinator to Mike Vrabel. In those two seasons as the Titans' play-caller, the NFL franchise ranked top five in the league in several categories, including total offense, rushing offense, red-zone efficiency and third-down conversion rate.
His time in Tennessee overlapped with Derrick Henry's historic season in 2020, when he became the eighth player in league history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a single season. It also overlapped with A.J. Brown recording back-to-back seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards to begin his NFL career, while recording 19 touchdowns in 30 games.
"He’s flexible," Vrabel, the now-New England Patriots head coach, told The Dispatch. "He’s adaptable. He can change with what's needed and have a pretty good pulse of what the offense needs, and when he was a head coach, what the team needed."
Who did Arthur Smith replace at Ohio State?
Smith replaced Brian Hartline on Ohio State's coaching staff as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator. Hartline left Ohio State following a three-year stint as the Buckeyes' offensive coordinator to become the head coach at the University of South Florida.
"It’s been great," Day said of Smith's addition and impact ahead of the season, according to The Dispatch. "He brings a great background of offensive football to the table. He’s been able to morph a lot of the things we’ve done with some of the things he’s done in the past."
Arthur Smith Coaching Career
Here's a full breakdown of Smith's stops throughout his coaching career including the college and NFL rankings:
- Ohio State (2026-present): Offensive Coordinator
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2024-2025): Offensive Coordinator
- Atlanta Falcons (2021-2023): Head Coach
- Tennessee Titans (2011-2020): Defensive Quality Control (2011); Offensive Quality Control (2012); Assistant Offensive Line Coach (2013); Assistant Tight Ends Coach (2014-15); Tight Ends Coach (2016-18); Offensive Coordinator (2019-2020)
- Ole Miss (2010): Defensive Intern/Administrative Assistant
- Washington Commanders (2007-08): Defensive Quality Control
- North Carolina (2006): Graduate Assistant
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arthur Smith latest coordinator with NFL experience at Ohio State
