Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith talks to wide reciever George Pickens during Pittsburgh Steelers Minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Pittsburgh. Credit: Sebastian Foltz/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via TNS
The Buckeyes have hired a former NFL head coach and offensive coordinator to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy.
Arthur Smith, who was the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator for the last two seasons and the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons from 2021-23, will replace Brian Hartline for Ohio State.
Hartline took the University of South Florida head coaching job on Dec. 3, 2025, which left the position open.
For the second time in three seasons, Ohio State’s offensive coordinator will be a former NFL head coach, as Chip Kelly, former head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-15 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, was the Buckeyes’ play caller in 2024.
In the lone season Kelly was the offensive coordinator for Ohio State, the Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff National Championship.
