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GT's written a really good article here. George Thomas: New coach Tom Arth will look north to help bolster recruiting Got me pretty excited about the future of Zips football. Also gave me a lot of respect for Kato. Not only did he suffer a high ankle sprain, but he also had to have post-season surgery on a torn meniscus which he played on during the final four games of the season. His quotes in this article display great maturity and a team-first attitude. Much impressed. Go Zips!

Looks like Banks is back. K-lac and Toles in street clothes.

Good info from TP here. Zagorski will be on the staff, whether it be OL and/or OC, but Arth expected to call plays regardless of position. Both of his recruiting classes were ranked top 10 in FCS. https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/2018/12/akron-football-new-coach-tom-arth-gives-zips-local-star-power-terry-pluto.html

Here is an inspiring read from Marla Ridenour. New UA football coach Tom Arth disdained Peyton Manning's advice, but still on track to fulfill his prediction

Looks like a bunch of Arth's assistant coaches at the Mocs are now not listed on the Mocs coaches page I assume that means that Tommy Zagorski OC Matt Feeney DC Jake Schaefer, Davern Williams DL and others will possibly be Zips assistants also noticed the Mocs kept their CB coach and that Matt Feeney recently added Deon Broomfield a CB coach at Indiana State to his twitter following list Feeney also added almost all of the Zips 2019 recruits to his twitter

That was a joke. Also they said the other two interviewees haven't been head coaches before.

I don't understand. Oh, I get it. Like when at the end of the Marshall game I knew Akron wasn't going to make the final shot. An unlucky team.

The video is up now.

From GoZips.com... What They’re Saying About Tom Arth . . . “I was fortunate to have Tom Arth as a teammate for a few seasons with the Colts as well as an instructor at our passing camp. With his football knowledge and work ethic, it was easy to see that Tom had the makings of a successful head coach. I congratulate Tom and wish him the best at the University of Akron.” Peyton Manning Retired Quarterback Indianapolis Colts | Denver Broncos “I had a chance to see Tom Arth on a daily basis when he was a quarterback with the Colts and have followed his coaching career thereafter. Tom has the unique ability to combine his knowledge of football with his understanding of how to build a winning culture. He possesses all the traits you look for in a leader. This is an exciting time for Akron football.” Tom Telesco General Manager Los Angeles Chargers “Congratulations to the University of Akron, the Akron Athletics Department, and Tom Arth on the recent hiring to lead their football program. Tom is an outstanding person and leader with a track record of success both as a player and a coach. Tom has had a positive impact in all of his stops in developing a winning culture on all levels. The Zips are in good hands with Tom Arth as their head football coach.” Nick Caserio Director of Player Personnel New England Patriots “I’ve watched Tom Arth grow from the good little quarterback out of St. Raphael’s at the youth camps in Cleveland that I would help at, to the successful quarterback at St. Ignatius, John Carroll and Colts, to the fantastic coach he is today. He was a smart kid who learned from the great coaches here in Cleveland. With that background and the facilities he has to work with at the University of Akron, I know he will elevate that football program to championship levels of success. We expect, and we will win, on and off the field.” Bernie Kosar Retired Quarterback Cleveland Browns -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't think this hire is anything to scoff at. Those quotes aren't from the St. Ignatius AD or the best man at his wedding (I'm assuming none of these guys were his best man, but for the sake of a cool story, I actually hope I'm wrong). You have an NFL GM, the Director of Player Personnel for arguably the most successful franchise in the history of the NFL, arguably the best QB of all time, and a beloved former Browns QB. I know quotes are simply quotes, but clearly Larry Williams dialed up all of his connections to find what he feels is the right guy. During the presser, Tom had some strong energy. As @NWAkron stated, I can see how he impressed those whom interviewed him. Football is going in the way of young, energetic, inspiring coaches. It really wouldn't surprise me if Larry Williams sat down with John Dorsey at some point to make a quick, yet solid list of qualities to target, because Dorsey is a firm believer in setting the tone in the locker room with the right culture. We'll see what product is put on the field, but you can tell Arth is hungry and will inspire the team he fields. He seems to fit the bill of the new football coaching trend.

Akron is notoriously bad at staging these events. The John Groce welcome was a train wreck as well. The best part was watching Antino smirking and circling around the student union while Groce introduced himself. They then had a private meet and greet for the fans at EJ Thomas. That wasn't that hot either. I don't understand football that well, but I do understand human nature. Tom Arth has a hunger to succeed. He's got a wife and five small kids (I think one is special needs), and he knows he can't screw this thing up, get fired, and be scrambling to find a head coaching job at Albion or Otterbein. I'm sure this is overwhelming change all of a sudden mid-school year for his family. John Groce had such an easy transition. Illinois owed him millions. He had a stable group of assistants who were going to follow him wherever. And he only had to meet with 9 or 10 players as opposed to 80! So if he wasn't all rah rah Akron U at the presser I get it. Also, he was sitting there with an interim president who is a political guru who joked about Arth being the lowest paid in D1. He is right out of central casting for football coach, and I can see how he wowed the interviewers. He's going to need all that youth, energy and family support to make this thing work at Akron. Right now he's refreshing and definitely something new for us. I hope he succeeds and can really brand himself and our football program.

Noticed that Owen Murphy, a lineman from St Ignatius that has a preferred walk-on offer from Ohio State, has been followed by potential assistant coach Zagorski

They should name some assistants with signing day coming up - right now the the zips coaching page looks like some old abandoned Myspace page

I see this as a potential Matt Campbell-type hire. Arth could be a head coach at a P5 school in 5 years, and that would be fine with me because that would mean a couple of 8,9,10 wins seasons at UA. How long has it been since a coach at Akron left the program for a better head coaching job? You'd have to go way back. Bowden brought the program to respectability, which was no small accomplishment, but it seemed like he hit a wall. It was time.

Very disappointed in the production 'quality' of the broadcast. Our soccer ESPN feeds are top-notch now so it shouldn't be too much to expect the same a coach introduction. Reflects very poorly on The University of Akron brand. I happen to be a Larry Williams fan but did anyone else think he sounded at times like he was reading a children's book during quiet time? No warm and fuzzy here regarding Arth. Sounded too much like he's thankful for another cup of coffee in northeastern Ohio and Akron just happened to be the coffee shop. Didn't get any sense of passion for our Blue and Gold - just another rung on the coaching ladder. WAY too early to tell, just my initial take.

Im actually pissed I tried to watch the stream Coming from a IT guy its unacceptable for Akron's digital interface to be that bad

There was nothing of substance from Arth. He stood up there, looked like a Sears catalog model, and gave the usual drivel about this and that. No hard-hitting questions. I also expect GT wanted something more scandalous than what John Green gave him regarding finances. OT...future NE game is worth 1.45mill

I see what you did there... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Groce's Bobcats were 17-14 heading into the MAC tourney in the '09-10 season (his second year at the helm). That year, they lost to Marshall by 7, Tulsa by 1, Austin Peay by 2, and Robert Morris by 2. They won 4 straight in the MAC tourney, including an OT win against Akron in the title game, then went on to knock off Georgetown in the First Round of the NCAA tournament, beating the Hoyas by 14. All of Akron's losses this season are by 5 or less. Groce builds his squads to compete in March. Every single loss we've had thus far and will have going forward, will prepare us for March. I fully expect the Zips to pick themselves up, brush themselves off, and come out firing tomorrow night in preparation for a big time match-up against Nevada on Saturday. Despite the at-times suffocating negativity on this board (including all sports, not just Men's Basketball), this is a good team. They are young, they have a lot of new faces, and they can be frustrating. But they have the intangibles to be very, very good.

I'm so happy John Green is doing this press conference instead of say...Scott Scarborough.

correction: we had 3 shots on the final possession and missed all of them.

Big Game tonight!! Exciting.

I don't even know why I tried to watch this live. Such a 3rd rate broadcast.