Ohio State is finalizing a deal to make former Pittsburgh Steelers playcaller Arthur Smith its offensive coordinator, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday.
Smith will replace Brian Hartline, who recently was named head coach at South Florida.
Smith spent the past two seasons with the Steelers under coach Mike Tomlin. Before that, he was Atlanta Falcons coach, compiling a record of 21-30 over three seasons.
This season, the Steelers ranked 15th in the NFL averaging 23.4 points per game. Pittsburgh won the AFC North but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Houston Texans 30-6.
In Columbus, Smith will have one of the top returning offensive trios in the country at his disposal.
Quarterback Julian Sayin was a Heisman finalist in his first season as Ohio State's starting quarterback. Bo Jackson rushed for 1,090 yards as a freshman. And wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is a two-time All-American heading into his junior season.
The Buckeyes finished the regular season undefeated but lost to Indiana in the Big Ten championship then fell to Miami in the quarterfinal of the playoffs.
Smith spent 10 years as an assistant with the Tennessee Titans before taking over the Falcons in 2021.
