Akron Football welcomes New Head Coach Tom Arth

Tom Arth, 37, like the prodigal son too has returned home to Ohio when he was introduced Monday as the new head coach of the Akron Zips. He will be looking to spark a Zips team who has longed desired to win. Arth who left the same position at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga to accept the job, hails from Northeast Ohio, having played at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland and at John Carroll University, where he played quarterback as a student-athlete and was its head coach from 2012-16. Arth loves the idea of coming home, and looks forward to the opportunity of resurging the team and the area.

"Having the opportunity to return to Northeast Ohio and to coach at the University of Akron is so special,'' . “I am both excited and motivated by the challenges ahead to lead our program and student athletes to great success on the field and off.

"This opportunity is everything and more that I could dream of.”

Akron is obviously looking to shake some things up in the years to come, and escpecially on offense. Arth who spent some time as the back up to NFL Hall Of Famer Peyton Manning says he's learned a lot from him and hopes to incorporate many things from the system the two played together in.

"We put a lot on our quarterback postion, and making decisions at the line of scrimmage, adjusting protections, setting the identifications in the run game"

When it comes to recruiting Arth is excited by the opportunity to recruit here locally, and even hopes that his ties to the area will greatly increase his chances of landing some top talent in the area.

"That's where my strongest ties are, Cleveland, and Northeast Ohio in General...it's going to be important to recruit in Northeast Ohio, and that is something that is going to be critical to our success."

Akron AD Larry Williams, says Arth will have a base salary of $500,000 for five years.