Akron is hiring Chattanooga‘s Tom Arth as head coach, filling the final head-coaching vacancy in the FBS this year.
Arth, a former quarterback in the NFL, CFL, Arena League and NFL Europe, takes over for Terry Bowden, who was fired earlier this month. The 37-year-old spent the past two seasons at Chattanooga, going 9-13, after a 40-8 run at Division III John Carroll University, his alma mater.
Akron’s board of trustees must still approve the hire, but Arth is set to be introduced Monday. Arth grew up in Cleveland and was a two-time unanimous All-America selection at John Carroll, where he set 18 team records.
“Tom’s experience in leading two programs, his ties to Northeast Ohio, his tremendous football IQ, and his passion for developing student-athletes for their future endeavors made him the perfect candidate to elevate our program,” Akron athletic director Larry Williams said in a statement.
Arth quickly emerged as the leading candidate at Akron, which also considered Texas assistant Stan Drayton, Mississippi State assistant Luke Getsy and Los Angeles Chargers assistant Phil McGeoghan, among others.