Who’s Hiring Arthur Smith? 'Serious Interest' From NFL Teams for Fired Falcons Coach
It's been two and a half weeks since the Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith after three years together, and both sides have swiftly moved on.
The Falcons have pieced together a comprehensive search for Smith's replacement, nearing 15 candidates interviewed with upwards of 10 receiving second interviews.
Similarly, Smith has generated looks from a lengthy list of teams, according to The Athletic.
"Former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith has received serious interest from more than 7 teams about joining their offensive staff as the offensive coordinator, per sources," The Athletic writes. "He will have options."
Nov 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith on the sideline against the New Orleans Saints in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The report didn't include any specific teams. There are currently eight teams with offensive coordinator openings, including the New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Several others have head coaching vacancies, which could result in a new coach potentially looking to add Smith to their staff.
A handful of others, like the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans, may lose their offensive coordinator to head coach opportunities, opening the door for Smith.
The Falcons parted ways with Smith hours after a 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the season finale, concluding Atlanta's third 7-10 season in as many years under Smith's guidance.
The 41-year-old Smith rose to prominence as the Tennessee Titans' offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020, with the unit ranking No. 2 in yards and No. 4 in points during Smith's final season as play caller.
Atlanta boasted a top-10 rushing offense in each of Smith's last two years on the sidelines but struggled through the air, starting three different quarterbacks - Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke - in that timespan.
The Falcons finished this season at No. 17 in yards per game at 334.3 and No. 26 in points per game with 18.9.
Now, Smith appears poised to get another shot at running an offense - and may be in line for a heavy dose of interviews in the coming days.
