For the second year in a row, Ohio State added a former NFL head coach to its staff when it hired Arthur Smith as its offensive coordinator. Smith coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-23 and, for the past two years, was the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to head coach Ryan Day, it’s not a coincidence that the Buckeyes are stockpiling their staff with coaches who have spent time in the NFL.
“We always say, you learn so much when you take on a new role,” Day said on Tuesday after Ohio State’s first spring practice. “The management of their staff on their side of the ball is critically important. You’ve seen (defensive coordinator Matt Patricia) do that now with some of the staff hires and changes that we’ve made on his side of the ball. Then, as Arthur starts to install some of the things that he has done in the past, there’s a system in place for it.”
The value for having former NFL coaches on staff has perhaps never been higher with the collegiate game becoming increasingly similar to the NFL, according to Day.
“It’s not the NFL, but it’s pretty close,” Day said. “The hash marks are different, but there’s a lot of things to carry over here, so that’s been good, and, ultimately, we’ve talked about this many times, but it allows me an opportunity to kind of step away and really dive into everything else and just be more present in the building with players, with staff, certainly with NIL stuff, in terms of raising money, asking questions, it’s just a different mindset.”
One of the biggest changes that has been made to college football to make the sport more like the professional version is the expansion of the College Football Playoff to include 12 teams. Day feels Smith, who has coached in the NFL playoffs multiple seasons as an offensive coordinator, should be able to help the Buckeyes find their stride at the right time.
“When you have somebody like Arthur, who has been through it before, he’s been through playoff games, he’s played a long season in the NFL, you know you have to kind of build towards the end of the season, and that’s the goal here for us.”
Smith, a former offensive lineman, is known for his ability to help offenses establish a run game, having done so as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans and as the head coach of the Falcons. However, Day said he can also make an impact with the passing game. The Buckeyes’ head coach said Smith is often in meetings with quarterbacks and has already developed a relationship with starting quarterback Julian Sayin.
“The minute (Smith) spent some time with Julian, he just said, ‘Boy, he’s really intelligent,’” Day said. “He can process a lot of high-level information.”
At least for now, one of Smith’s responsibilities at Ohio State will not be traveling on the road to recruit. Day announced on Tuesday that Smith will not be one of the 10 coaches on staff who will do so. Patricia, however, will continue to recruit on the road.
Regardless, Ohio State’s NFL-like coaching staff could help them land some of the best recruits in the country, according to Day.
“If you come and watch practice, and a lot of recruits did today, you get a chance to see that’s an NFL practice right there,” Day said. “Guys know that they’re going to have an opportunity to develop and be ready to step into these roles, and that’s a big part of recruiting nowadays.”
