Report: Chargers eyeing former JCU coach Arth

If a report is true, there could be a John Carroll reunion between Chargers coach Brandon Staley and current University of Akron coach Tom Arth.

Jan. 19, Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports reported, “Akron coach Tom Arth has emerged as a target for the Los Angeles Chargers staff.”

That should not be a surprise for anyone familiar with the John Carroll football program, and especially after Staley was named Chargers coach late Jan. 17.

Arth is a John Carroll graduate who led the Blue Streaks to the NCAA Division III national semifinals as a quarterback and head coach. In December 2012, he was named JCU’s head coach and in his first season Staley was his defensive coordinator. Arth was a JCU assistant during the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Staley left JCU after the 2013 season to become defensive coordinator for FCS power James Madison. After one season there, Staley returned in the same position with JCU in 2015 and 2016.

The 2016 season changed everything for Arth and Staley. The Blue Streaks were 12-2, beat No. 1-ranked Mount Union, won the Ohio Athletic Conference outright and advanced to a DIII national semifinal.

Following that season, Arth, the 2016 national coach of the year by D3football.com, left to become head coach at FCS Chattanooga and Staley went with him.

A few months into that gig, Staley, 38, left for an opportunity to join the Bears’ coaching staff as outside linebackers coach. He stayed in Chicago for two seasons and joined the Broncos staff in the same position in 2019 before moving on to the Rams for the 2020 season, where he was defensive coordinator and led L.A.’s defense to No. 1 rankings in points and yards allowed.

Meanwhile, Arth, 39, coached at Chattanooga for two seasons and had records of 3-8 and 6-5 before accepting the Akron job. In Arth’s first season, the Zips were 0-12 in 2019, then 1-5 in the shortened novel coronavirus season this fall.

It’s been an obvious rebuild at Akron, so it will be interesting to see Arth’s decision if he’s offered a job on the Charagers’ staff. Arth and Staley are good friends and share a passion for coaching. Each played quarterback — Arth for St. Ignatius and Staley for Perry.

All of Arth’s post-playing coaching experience is in college, but he did spend time as a player in the NFL after his recordsetting playing career at JCU.

He was a backup to Peyton Manning in Indianapolis from 2003 to 2005, and was in the Packers training camp in 2006 before being released. Arth also played in NFL Europe, the Canadian Football League and the Arena League.

Another factor to consider about Arth possibly coaching with Staley and the Chargers is General Manager Tom Telesco is also a JCU graduate.

MICHAEL JOHNSON — THE NEWS-HERALD Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley pictured during his time at John Carroll.