Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith dishes on choosing OSU

At a place like Ohio State , keeping a coaching staff together is a 'Lord of the Rings' journey. Successful programs like the one on the banks of the Olentangy breed job offers for assistants, and that's definitely been the case during the Ryan Day era. To that end, OSU lost wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline when USF hired him as its new head coach.

After a secret and seemingly thorough search, Day filled the vacancy by hiring former Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. We heard from Smith for the first time on Tuesday, one day before Ohio State football's Pro Day, and some of what he said was enlightening when it came to the reasons he left the NFL to coach in college at Ohio State. Smith first credited the respect he had for Day as one of the main reasons he decided to back the U-Haul up to Columbus.

“First, most importantly, was the respect I have for Coach Day, and he reached out, we had a good conversation, and came down here and spent some time with him," said Smith. "And just kind of weighed my options, and I'd had such a good experience with some of the players that have come through here that I've gotten the privilege to coach, so I was intrigued. Kind of weighed my options, and talked to a lot of people, including Mike Vrabel, who's a great Buckeye, he’s a great friend of mine, and it just made sense.

” Smith didn't have firsthand knowledge of Day before he reached out, but admired him and the program from afar. “I didn't know him (Day) really well personally. We had crossed paths; I had talked to him the last couple of years coming through here on (Ohio State) Pro Day, and obviously knew a lot of people that had played for him or worked with him, and had a lot of mutual admiration from afar,” Smith said.