Arthur Smith is going back to college.
Multiple sources confirm to FootballScoop that Smith is expected to finalize a deal to become Ohio State's next offensive coordinator in Ryan Day's Buckeyes program. The news also was shared by ESPN and NFL Network, among other outlets, as well as Ohio State multi-media reporter Austin Ward.
Smith, a former NFL head coach atop the Atlanta Falcons and a candidate a year ago for the North Carolina Tar Heels search that ended with the hiring of Bill Belichick, is poised to return to collegiate coaching for the first time in 16 years; Smith served on Houston Nutt's Ole Miss Rebels staff in 2010 -- as a defensive assistant coach.
Smith's only other collegiate turn was in 2006 as a graduate assistant at North Carolina, Smith's alma mater and where he played along the Tar Heels offensive line.
With a decade in the Tennessee Titans' organization, Smith climbed that franchise's ranks from 2011 through 2020, the last of Smith's two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator.
Additionally, Smith worked for the then-Washington Redskins for two seasons prior to his stints at Ole Miss and his extended run with the Titans.
Smith's work in Nashville under Mike Vrabel propelled Smith to landing the head coaching job with the Falcons, for whom Smith posted three consecutive 7-10 records before he was fired after the 2023 season.
For the past two seasons, Smith was offensive coordinator for Mike Tomlin's Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomlin stepped down earlier this month and the Steelers on Saturday announced that they had hired Mike McCarthy to become the franchise's next leader.
The move continues Day's propensity to replace top-level assistants with coaches who own previous NFL experience. Recent offensive coordinators for Day with the Buckeyes include former NFL head coaches Chip Kelly and Bill O'Brien.
Smith, however, replaces Brian Hartline -- Ohio State's offensive coordinator during the 2025 season who was hired away by USF as that program's head coach, the first head coaching opportunity for Hartline.
Smith gives Day two coordinators with NFL head coaching experience at the same time. He joins Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, a former top New England Patriots assistant and three-year head coach of the Detroit Lions from the 2018 through 2020 seasons.
Day guided Ohio State to the 2024 College Football Playoff Championship and again delivered a CFP bid for the Buckeyes this past season, which ended when Ohio State was upset by eventual CFP runner-up Miami.
The Buckeyes are scheduled to open their 2026 season at home Sept. 5 against Ball State. Ohio State then completes its two-game series with Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns, who fell at Ohio State in the two teams' 2025 opener.