Steelers Head Coach Why did Mike Tomlin appoint Arthur Smith as OC?
To suggest that the offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been difficult to watch over the past two seasons is akin to stating that it was somewhat difficult to witness the Hindenburg tragedy occur.
Last season, the offense finished at the bottom of the NFL in almost every major category. As a result, offensive coordinator Matt Canada was fired by the Steelers just before Thanksgiving, and Arthur Smith, a former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, was brought in to take over as offensive coordinator.
Day 2 of mandatory minicamp was Smith’s post-practice news conference. I asked head coach Mike Tomlin what initially piqued his interest in Smith and what eventually made him the choice for the position.
“I’ve competed against him over the years in Atlanta and Tennessee,” Tomlin said. “We had a lot of mutual connections from his time in Washington. I know what he puts into the job, professionally speaking and he has quality tape. I’ve competed against him in-stadium. SO, not a lot of unknowns regarding his capabilities to be completely honest with you.”
When Smith was the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 20, the team was second in terms of offensive success rate, just behind the Kansas City Chiefs, and fourth in the NFL in terms of EPA per play during that time.
The quarterback play was outstanding as well; Ryan Tannehill and the Titans led the NFL in both success rate through the air and EPA per dropback, ranking fourth and second, respectively.
