In order to continue his coaching journey, Arthur Smith had to quit.
He loved the two years he spent with the Washington Football Team as a defensive quality control coach and college scouting assistant under legendary coach Joe Gibbs from 2007-08. While that time cemented his desire to be an NFL head coach, Smith also knew the best thing was to leave.
Not because he felt as though he wouldn’t eventually move up in the organization. He just wanted to do it away from his family’s connections to the Washington Football Team: The organization played its games at FedEx Field, and Smith’s father is Frederick W.