Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx and father of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, passed away Saturday at the age of 80.
A Memphis native and Marine Corps veteran, Fred Smith launched his career in aviation sales before founding what would become one of the world’s most iconic delivery companies. His gamble to keep FedEx alive — famously turning his last $5,000 into a $27,000 casino win in Las Vegas — is part of business lore and mirrors the underdog grit that runs deep in Pittsburgh sports culture.
Like Art Rooney Sr., who bet big to start the Steelers, Fred Smith built his empire from the ground up.
Arthur Smith was born in Memphis but chose a different high-stakes path — football. Despite the advantages that came with his family name, Arthur worked his way up from the bottom of the NFL coaching ladder.
“We all have connections that help you,” Arthur told ESPN in 2021. “But with my dad’s involvement up there, and playing in FedEx Field, I just felt like when you’re the quality control, it’s fine. … To legitimately move up, I knew I had to get away.”
He did just that. Smith earned his stripes across multiple coaching roles before being named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. Now, in his first season as offensive coordinator of the Steelers, he brings that same relentless work ethic to Pittsburgh’s offense.
“You care about [Smith’s] humility, hard work, leadership. Players love him,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank told ESPN. “Very creative, produced at a high level.”
While Fred Smith built a global empire delivering packages, Arthur now oversees an offense expected to deliver wins every Sunday.
