The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to find respected coaches for their staff, but it seems they have gotten better at that in recent years. Former inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry was given a promotion with the New York Jets for how well he helped turn around Pittsburgh's linebacker room. Meanwhile, current Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, is seen as one of the brighter minds in the league. His tenure as head coach was rough, but he seems to be continuing to excel as a play-caller versus the main man running a team.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
After the 2024 offseason, Smith got a call from his alma mater, the North Carolina Tar Heels. They wanted to pry him away from the Steelers so he could coach in the college ranks. He turned them down, saying that he had no interest in being their head coach. After that, UNC went and hired NFL legend Bill Belichick to run their program in hopes of making them a big threat again.
His tenure with the Tar Heels has been nothing short of an absolute disaster so far. It's only been five games and their record is 2-3, but there is a lot more to this than what the win/loss ratio says. North Carolina is 0-3 against Power 4 schools with one of the wins coming against an FCS school. Overall, his time in Chapel Hill has been so bad that both sides are already negotiating a buyout, according to multiple sources.
Per sources: Bill Belichick has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy. Belichick has signalled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in media
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) October 8, 2025
It's very obvious that North Carolina will have to start searching for their new head coach soon. The program was seen as a decent one, especially with the emergence of former Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye in the NFL. Now, it's seen as an absolute joke, as reports have come out that members of Belichick's coaching staff are already looking for new jobs.
Adam Glanzman / Getty Images
Former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick stands on the sideline and looks up towards the scoreboard during a professional football game.
Just because Smith denied North Carolina once, doesn't mean they won't try again. This time, UNC won't have an NFL legend to fall back on if he says no. The Tar Heels could pursue him even harder this time around and do everything they can to lure him away from Pittsburgh. Whether he says no or not is to be determined, but they need any sort of respected football mind to turn them around.
Smith does have one year left on his contract with the Steelers after the 2025 season. He definitely wouldn't bail on them in the middle of the campaign, but if his alma mater throws enough money at him, maybe he at least considers walking away to fix his old team and lead them to success. They say that everyone has a price. What is Smith's price?
Belichick's contract was $10 million per year for five years. If Smith was truly their first choice, they likely gave him an offer of somewhere around that, maybe more money. While his exact pay with the Steelers is unknown, reports from other sources show that he makes anywhere from $1-2.5 million per year.
Steelers May Have To Pay Up To Keep Smith
With that said, the most likely scenario is that Smith likely turns down North Carolina's offer. However, since he is due for an extension, he could use that as leverage against the Steelers. He could also request a good raise and threaten to work for the Tar Heels.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith celebrate together by shaking hands after the game following a hard-fought win.
Who knows if that will happen or if he will just coach on a contract year, but there are a lot of moving parts here for all parties involved.
What do you think about the Tar Heels likely trying to hire Smith again after the Belichick saga potentially ends? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation
