A report came out on Wednesday stating that North Carolina was eyeing Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to replace Mack Brown, who it fired on Tuesday after six years as the program's head football coach.
Smith addressed this report on Thursday, and it sounds like UNC did reach out to the alum. However, Smith insists he has no interest in taking the head-coaching job in Chapel Hill.
“The reality is, they reached out on a preliminary call. I love that place, but that’s not my focus," Smith told the media Thursday. "I mean, I’ve got one of the best jobs in football right now. There’s a lot to be said to you can’t put a price on personal and professional happiness, which I have here. I love that place. I appreciate it."
Smith doubled down and expressed how much he loves working for the Steelers. So much in fact that he acknowledged how just a few years ago he would've snatched this job opportunity up.
“It’s nice when someone reaches out, sure, but again, I’ve got an awesome job here,” Smith said. “I love it here in Pittsburgh. Probably a different mindset than I had five, four years ago. Any head job, I probably would’ve walked there to take it. Now, my perspective is different. When you’ve got something good, like I’ve got here in Pittsburgh right now, my family loves it, I like the working environment, I love being a Steeler.”
#Steelers OC Art Smith said UNC has reached out about its head coach vacancy, but "that's not my focus. I've got one of the best jobs in football right now. ... I love being a Steeler."https://t.co/cozqstBWk3 pic.twitter.com/lv07ZqmGcV
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) November 28, 2024
Smith graduated from UNC and worked as a grad assistant there in 2006, but hasn't really worked in the college football scene since. He was most recently the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for three years before being fired after the 2023 campaign.
It's his first year in the Steelers organization, and Smith seems to really enjoy it. The 8–3 Steelers offense has exceed expectations this year thanks to the team's new quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. It sounds like Smith has every intention to stay in Pittsburgh for a while longer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers' Arthur Smith Addresses Candidacy to Replace Mack Brown at North Carolina.
