Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a candidate to be the next head coach of the Tennessee Titans .
The Titans requested permission to interview Smith, who remains under contract with the Steelers, according to a report on Thursday by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Smith, 43, is a Memphis native, got his NFL start as a coordinator in Tennessee and spent most of his coaching career there. The Titans first hired Smith as a quality control coach in 2011 under then-head coach Mike Munchak.
Smith moved up to offensive line coach in 2013, and then in 2014, when Munchak was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt, was moved to assistant tight ends coach. Two years later, now under Mike Mularkey, Smith became tight ends coach. In 2018, Mike Vrabel became the new Titans head coach and again retained Smith, and in 2019, promoted him to offensive coordinator.
Smith served for two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Titans in 2019 and 2020. The year previous to his promotion, they finished 27th in score. In 2019, they rocketed up to 10th and in 2020, they had the No. 4 offense in football, led by Derrick Henry , A.J. Brown and Ryan Tannehill .
Smith was hired by the Atlanta Falcons as their head coach the following season, and he was fired in 2024 after three straight 7-10 seasons.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota (1) stand on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Hired by the Steelers as their offensive coordinator in 2024, Smith once again showed immediate dividends. The Steelers finished the 2023 season 28th in scoring offense. In the first season under Smith in 2024, they finished 16th, and this year, they were 15th.
The Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan in the middle of the season on Oct. 13, but despite their jump-start on the coaching carousel, have been moving deliberately.
Smith is one of a large number of interview requests for the Titans that also include Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsburgy, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, San Francisco 49ers head coach Robert Saleh, former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Smith can have a virtual interview with the Titans of up to three hours, beginning on Jan. 14, the day after the Steelers' Wild Card game. The Titans can host him for an in-person interview no sooner than Jan. 19, unless the Steelers make the AFC Championship Game.
Smith was a candidate for multiple head coaching jobs last season, including the New York Jets. He turned down an opportunity to coach at his alma mater, UNC — a job that later went to Bill Belichick.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers OC Arthur Smith Again a Head Coach Candidate
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