Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith landed a new gig as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Smith lost his job as Falcons head coach after three straight 7-10 seasons, leaving his only three years as a head coach without a winning record.
His mediocre tenure was punctuated by a fiery exchange with New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen after the Saints punched in a garbage time touchdown to run up the score on Atlanta.
The most lasting image of Smith’s time in Atlanta will be this:
Falcons HC Arthur Smith had some words for Saints HC Dennis Allen in a heated exchange after the game. pic.twitter.com/EXit2gsjDJ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 7, 2024
Still, Smith will get a chance to run back his old role as a play caller, something he did with great success during his time as the offensive coordinator in Tennessee from 2019-2020. Smith finished second in yards and fourth in points during his final year.
Smith will replace coordinator Matt Canada, who head coach Mike Tomlin fired midseason. In his two and a half seasons, Pittsburgh never ranked higher than 23rd in yards or 21st in points. (RELATED: Still Got It: Tom Brady Hits Perfect Pass At Gala)
Steelers fans, who had rejoiced after Canada’s long-desired dismissal, took to Twitter to express their feelings of disappointment over Smith, who many felt was not a significant enough departure from Canada’s lackluster offensive approach.
One Steelers beat writer called it a “very average feeling hire.”
Arthur Smith > Randy Fichtner and Matt Canada.
But that’s not saying much, and the team needed to find a real gem in this search. It was always going to be tough. Very average feeling hire.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) January 30, 2024
Many more posted memes depicting how similar they perceive Smith and Canada to be.
The Steelers going from Matt Canada to Arthur Smith pic.twitter.com/tHdmugUrhb
— Sad Big Mike (@big_mike9169) January 30, 2024
The Steelers going from Matt Canada to Arthur Smith pic.twitter.com/q9LOVhzGjw
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) January 30, 2024
The Steelers offense going from Matt Canada to Arthur Smith: https://t.co/baJ7NKGhBT pic.twitter.com/GGflwzh8Ib
— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) January 30, 2024
While I completely understand the frustrations of Steeler nation, I have to disagree with their disappointment. Nobody is as bad as Matt Canada, and Smith has a solid track record as an offensive coordinator, despite his mediocre head coaching tenure.