Bears interview former Falcons head coach, current Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith
(670 The Score) The Bears have conducted an interview with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for their head coaching vacancy, the team announced late Wednesday morning.
Smith, 42, is coming off his first season in Pittsburgh. He spent the previous three years in Atlanta as the head coach of the Falcons. Smith was 21-30 in that tenure, guiding the team to three straight 7-10 campaigns.
Under Smith's direction, the Steelers were 16th in scoring and 23rd in total offense this past season. They were led by quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at different points of the season.
Smith began his coaching career at his alma mater of North Carolina in 2006, serving as a graduate assistant. He rose through the ranks with the Titans from 2011-'20, filling several roles before a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2019.
Smith is the son of Frederick Smith, the founder of FedEx.
The Bears have an opening after firing former head coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29, marking the franchise's first in-season dismissal of a head coach.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles – who has been retained for a fourth season in his position – is considered the "point man" in this coaching search, team president/CEO Kevin Warren said.
Poles will be joined in the search process by Warren, chairman George McCaskey, senior director of player personnel Jeff King, director of football administration Matt Feinstein and chief human resources officer Liz Geist. The Bears may also include members of their senior leadership team in the interview process. Eleven individuals hold titles of executive vice president or senior vice president.
The Bears have stated their intention to conduct a wide-ranging coaching search. Poles began the process shortly after firing Eberflus, starting by gathering background information and making phone calls to gather intel on potential candidates.
"We're looking for clear vision, a developmental mindset, really good game management and obviously a plan to develop a quarterback is going to be a key part of that as well," Poles said. "We're going to cast a wide net. It's going to be a diverse group. This will be different backgrounds from offense, defense, special teams, college, pro. We're turning every stone to make sure we're doing this the right way.
"There's going to be some names that you don't expect, that are going to surprise you because we're digging deeper than we ever have before. In terms of timing, we're going to move with urgency, but we're not going to rush the process.
"We want it to be a sound process."
Smith is the 11th candidate the Bears have interviewed as of Wednesday midday. They've also interviewed interim head coach Thomas Brown, former Stanford coach David Shaw, former Panthers and Commanders coach Ron Rivera, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who has since accepted an offer to become the Patriots' new head coach.
The Bears have one of six remaining coaching vacancies still open. The Cowboys, Jets, Saints, Raiders and Jaguars each have positions available as well.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on X @CEmma670.
