Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith says North Carolina job opening 'not my focus'

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Thursday that he has been contacted by the University of North Carolina about its head coaching vacancy but that he’s not interested at the moment.

Smith’s name has been rumored as a candidate to replace Mack Brown, who was fired Tuesday amid his sixth season in his second stint with the Tar Heels.

“Obviously, that’s your alma mater,” Smith said Thursday after practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “That’s not something I’ve thought about. Like a lot of these things go, I know in today’s media things can blow up out of control. The reality is, reached out with a preliminary call. I appreciate it. Love that place, but that’s not my focus.”

Smith is in his first season calling plays for the AFC North-leading Steelers (8-3), who are averaging 328 yards and 22.9 points per game entering Sunday’s game at the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers, however, went seven quarters without scoring a touchdown and have struggled of late in red-zone and short-yardage situations.

“I’ve got one of the best jobs in football right now,” Smith said. “There’s a lot to be said, too, about (that) you can’t put a price on personal and professional happiness, which I have here.”

Smith, 42, was an offensive guard at North Carolina from 2001-05 and spent a year as a graduate assistant there under John Bunting in 2006. Smith has spent the majority of his coaching career in the NFL. After two seasons as Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator, he was named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Smith went 7-10 in each of his three seasons in Atlanta before he was fired in January.

“I love that place, appreciate it,” Smith said of North Carolina. “But that’s usually how it goes. People cast a wide net, some narratives get out of control and you try to control it. In one way, it’s nice to be that someone reaches out, sure, but I’ve got an awesome job here, love it here in Pittsburgh.

“I probably have a different mindset than it was five or four years ago where any head job I probably would have walked there to take it. Now my perspective is different. When you’ve got something good, like I’ve got here in Pittsburgh right now, my family loves it here and I like the working environment, love being a Steeler.”