Early career After graduating in 2006, Smith became a
graduate assistant for North Carolina. In 2010, Smith was hired as a defensive intern and administrative assistant for
Ole Miss.
Tennessee Titans Smith was hired to become the defensive quality control coach for the
Tennessee Titans in 2011 under new head coach
Mike Munchak. Smith then became the offensive quality coach the following season. In 2013, Smith was promoted to the assistant offensive line and assistant tight ends coach. Munchak was fired after the 2013 season and new head coach
Ken Whisenhunt retained Smith as the assistant tight ends coach. Mid-way through the 2015 season, Whisenhunt was fired and replaced by tight ends coach
Mike Mularkey. Mularkey was kept as head coach for the 2016 season and so was Smith as the new tight ends coach. When Mularkey was fired after the 2017 season, new head coach
Mike Vrabel kept Smith as the tight ends coach for 2018. On January 21, 2019, Smith was promoted to offensive coordinator, replacing
Matt LaFleur, who departed to become head coach of the
Green Bay Packers two weeks prior. In his first year as offensive coordinator, Smith oversaw the highest-scoring Titans team in 16 years, with
Derrick Henry,
Ryan Tannehill, and
Jonnu Smith having career years. Smith was praised for his play-calling in the Titans' 28–12 road victory over the top-seeded
Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Round. In 2020, the Titans ranked fourth in scoring and second in total yards.
Atlanta Falcons On January 15, 2021, Smith was hired to become the head coach of the
Atlanta Falcons. On September 12, Smith lost in his head coaching debut against the
Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 32–6. Two weeks later, Smith received his first career win as a head coach in a 17–14 victory over the
New York Giants. The Falcons finished third in the NFC South with a 7–10 record and did not qualify for the playoffs. In his second season, Smith led the Falcons to another 7–10 record as the team finished fourth in the NFC South and did not qualify for the playoffs. Smith was widely criticized by various media outlets throughout the 2023 season for failing to utilize highly drafted players such as tight end
Kyle Pitts, wide receiver
Drake London, and running back
Bijan Robinson. The Falcons finished the season with their third consecutive 7–10 record under Smith. This also extended the Falcons' streak of missing the playoffs to six consecutive seasons, resulting in Smith's firing on January 8, 2024.
Pittsburgh Steelers On February 2, 2024, the
Pittsburgh Steelers hired Smith to be their new
offensive coordinator. In 2024, the Steelers achieved 5.02 yards per play, a slight decrease from 2023 with 5.3. The offense produced 317.2 yards per game, ranking them 23rd in the NFL and scored an average of 22.4 points per game. Between quarterbacks
Justin Fields and
Russell Wilson, there were 21 total touchdown passes, an increase from 13 the previous season. Under Smith, tight end
Pat Freiermuth led the team in touchdown receptions with seven. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Steelers' offense underwent several changes including making new additions such as revamping their quarterback room by acquiring
Aaron Rodgers and
Mason Rudolph, as well as drafting running back
Kaleb Johnson. The team also acquired former Dolphins' tight end
Jonnu Smith, who previously played under Smith with the Titans from 2017 to 2020 and the Falcons in 2023.
Ohio State On January 24, 2026, Smith was hired to be the offensive coordinator at
Ohio State. ==Head coaching record==