Get to know quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, including what got him started in the coaching field.
What got you interested in coaching:
"Growing up, since I was five years old, all I ever thought about was football. It was always about playing. And I never really thought about coaching until I was with the Colts. I was fortunate to have some great coaches there, Coach (Tony) Dungy, Tom Moore, Jim Caldwell, Howard Mudd. I remember those guys always telling me you'd be a great coach. At the time, I didn't want to hear that. I wanted them to tell me I've got a chance to make the team. Tell me I've got a chance to be a decent player. But that was probably the first time I thought about it.
"But it really wasn't until after I stopped playing, I went into business for a year in Cleveland. I was working for a consumer products company, doing sales and marketing. And it was a small entrepreneurial company, so I was involved in a lot of different areas. I really learned a lot and loved what I was doing, loved the people that I was working with. But my head coach in college called me about a year into that job and said that they had a position open and offered the job to me. And that was the first time I really thought about it and said, I loved the people I work with, I love what I'm doing, but do I see myself selling office products for the rest of my life? And the answer was no. Football had always been such a big part of who I am and outside of my faith and family, that was the most important thing in my life. So, I made the decision to give it a go and went back into it for football. And probably after about a year, talking with players and exit meetings and things like that, you realize the impact that you have on someone's life and the opportunity that you have to help them be the best version of themselves, to accomplish their goals and dreams. That's what hooked me and really why I love what I do, why I'm so passionate about what I do."
Describe your coaching style:
"Be myself. In that there's a lot of different ways that expresses itself. A lot of times it is understanding the role you're in and where you are, who you are around and who you are coaching. It all factors into it. I was certainly a different assistant coach than I was a head coach. And now being an assistant coach again, and coaching the quarterback specifically at this level, that requires a really cool, calm, even keeled demeanor. I try to be that for the quarterbacks because that position is such a cerebral position. It's not about riding the wave of the highs and lows of the emotions of the game. It's about staying consistent and living in the moment. I try to be that for the guys that I have the opportunity to coach.
"At the same time, it's also a great leadership position. There's a competitive spirit and a fire that you must have as well. I think it's finding that balance. It's very much like playing quarterback. So, I've had some experience with that, and I think it comes naturally for me."
What do you love about coaching:
"I love so many things. I think it's really a combination of things. I think it's about relationships, realizing the impact that you can make on a person's life, on their career. If we forget that and focus on our personal goals, the responsibilities that we have, I think you really lose that ability to be passionate about what you do, what you love, because it's truly about other people. It's about helping the coaches around you be their best. It's helping the players you coach be their best and accomplish their goals. I think if I show up every day and my mindset is to help them be the best that they can be every day, that's going to force me to be my best every day and that's certainly what I strive to do."
Favorite coaching moment:
"There have been a lot of great ones, but this one's probably a little easier for me. In 2016, I was the head coach at John Carroll University. I had been a player at John Carroll as well. We played Mount Union every year and had some incredible games, including triple overtime games when I was a player, but never came out on top. I had a couple close calls in 2013 and 2014. But Mount Union came out on top.
"In 2016, we had an incredible game, came down to the end and we were able to score a touchdown to win the game and win the conference. I think it was the first regular season game they'd lost in about 110 games, and the first time John Carroll won the conference outright since 1989. So, it was a really incredible moment for me, for my family, for the University, for our players. Just one of those moments that you'll never forget. And no matter what happens, that would be a tough one to top."
Best advice you have received in coaching:
"I always think back to my high school coach. And maybe it wasn't as much advice as just the example that he set. Chuck Kyle at St. Ignatius High School, just the type of person he was. His faith, his leadership, the way he was able to motivate. He did everything in my opinion the right way. Always carried himself in such a humble, respectful way, but at the same time a very strong leader. To me, that is the kind of example that I hold in highest regard and try to you know try to do my best to live up to."
Best advice you give to players:
"To give everything that they have. That's certainly easier said than done. But to realize the opportunity they have in front of them and to know it's really rare and it's very special. You have to cherish every moment and strive to be your best every moment. No matter what you're doing, if it's in the weight room, if it is in the meeting room, out on the field, whatever it is, if you're giving everything that you have to being your best in that moment, you're going to find ways to improve, you're going to find ways to get better, and that's ultimately what we're all trying to do, is just be the best version of ourselves. So that's probably the best advice I can give."
Offseason relaxation/reset:
"Spending time with my family. As much as I'd love to go golfing or do something like that, there is nothing I'd rather do than go home and be with my family. And not doing anything in particular. Just hanging out, being around each other, going to their sporting events, watching baseball games on TV, just whatever it is, barbecuing, just being with my family."
More on Tom Arth:
Tom Arth joined the Steelers in 2024, spending the last two seasons in his current role of quarterbacks coach.
In 2025, Arth worked with quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, while helping develop rookie Will Howard, although he didn't see any playing time due to a training camp injury.
The offense averaged 202.4 passing yards per game, with 26 touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
In 2024 he worked with the starting combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The Steelers averaged 192.0 passing yards per game, while having 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Prior to joining the Steelers, Arth spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers where he was the team's passing game specialist. During his time with the Chargers, he was part of a staff that helped the offense rank fifth in passing offense and eleventh in total offense during his tenure. He also helped quarterback Justin Herbert continue to set NFL records.
Arth also spent nine seasons coaching in the college ranks, including three as the head coach at the University of Akron (2019-21). He also was the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2017-18) and his alma mater, John Carroll, for four seasons (2013-16).
Arth's time in the NFL began when he was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He spent three seasons with the Colts (2003-05).
