Falcons Ex Arthur Smith to Get New NFL Head Coach Job? 'Pretty Good' Chance

Less than a year after his firing, former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith may soon get another NFL head coaching role.

Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith has rebuilt his stock with the Pittsburgh Steelers. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, now the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator, might be in line for another shot at an NFL head coaching job.

Smith, who compiled a 21-30 record across three 7-10 seasons as the Falcons' coach from 2021-23, was fired after a season-ending 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 7. He joined the Steelers less than a month later.

Now, he may have more ahead.

The 42-year-old Smith spoke with his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, about its head coaching vacancy last week -- but he ultimately declined the job. The exchange, however, may serve as a clue about Smith's future endeavors.

According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, Smith has a fair probability to resume the reins of an NFL organization in the coming years.

"That Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith conveyed his happiness in Pittsburgh despite having talks with North Carolina suggests his chances to become an NFL head coach might be pretty good," Fowler wrote. "From what I heard, the Tar Heels were high on Smith, who was considered the prime target."

Why's this matter? To Fowler, it's a big-picture realization about the perception of Smith's tenure with the Falcons.

"This makes me think that his stint in Atlanta will be viewed favorably in the next year or two as the NFL carousel spins. Smith won 21 games in three seasons with four different starting quarterbacks -- none of whom are starters right now."

But during Smith's last two years, each of Atlanta's three starters were brought to the roster by he and general manager Terry Fontenot. The Falcons traded veteran staple Matt Ryan, signed Marcus Mariota, drafted Desmond Ridder and signed Taylor Heinicke. Ryan was the only one who didn't get benched.

The Falcons battled a rebuild in Smith's first two years, making his seven-win seasons rather impressive, but his final year was deemed a disappointment -- a result reached by a lack of consistent quarterback play.

Nevertheless, Smith has found comfort in Pittsburgh, which ranks 14th in the NFL in total offense at 344 yards per game and 10th in scoring at 24.7 points per game. Quarterback Russell Wilson and running back Najee Harris have each enjoyed strong seasons under Smith's guidance.

And as a result, Smith is putting his Falcons past further into the rearview mirror -- so much that he may get another head coaching opportunity sooner rather than later.