Tom Arth is in his second season as the Steelers' quarterbacks coach in 2025.
Pittsburgh went from averaging 186.1 yards passing/game with 13 TD passes and nine interceptions in 2023 to 192.0 passing yards/game with 21 TD passes and just six interceptions under Arth.
The combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields also rushed 105 times for 444 yards and seven more TDs.
The Steelers threw 21 TD passes in 2024. They had just 13 in 2023. Pittsburgh threw just six interceptions last season. Only the Chargers (three) and Ravens (four) threw fewer.
Arth came to Pittsburgh from the L.A. Chargers where he served as passing game specialist for two seasons (2022-23). He was part of a staff that coached the Chargers to rank fifth in passing offense (251.2 ypg.) and No. 11 in total offense (344.3 ypg.) over his tenure. Arth helped quarterback Justin Herbert continue to set records, as no player has more completions (1,613) or passing yards (18,134) over the first four seasons of a career. Herbert's 114 passing TDs and 125 total TDs rank second in League history – only Dan Marino (142) and Josh Allen (135) registered more, respectively, over their first four seasons in the NFL.
Herbert had more completions (1,316), passing yards (14,089) and total TDs (102) over the first three seasons of a career than any player in League history. He also was the only quarterback in NFL history to begin a career with three consecutive seasons of 4,000-plus passing yards and the second player ever to throw 25 TDs in each of their first three years, joining Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
Arth also brings nine years of collegiate head coaching acumen and three seasons of NFL playing experience to the offensive staff. He spent three years (2019-21) as the head coach at the University of Akron following two seasons (2017-18) at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The first four years of Arth's nine-year run as a collegiate head coach were spent at the helm of his alma mater, John Carroll University (2013-16).
Over Arth's four seasons as the head coach at John Carroll, the Blue Streaks posted a 40-8 record and earned three postseason appearances. He was named Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on two occasions (2013, 2016) — including National Coach of the Year recognition in 2016. Arth helped produce 55 All-OAC selections and 12 All-Americans in his four-year tenure as head coach.
That 2016 season saw John Carroll claim the program's first outright OAC title in over 25 years, defeating No. 1-ranked Mount Union to earn the conference title. In the postseason, Arth led John Carroll to an appearance in the National Semifinal Round for the second time in program history, which included a win at No. 1-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater. Arth also led John Carroll to the postseason in each of his first two seasons at the helm (2013-14), marking the first time in school history that the program earned a playoff berth in consecutive years.
Before taking over as head coach, Arth spent his first three seasons (2010-12) at John Carroll in a support capacity. His roles included director of football operations, co-offensive coordinator, assistant recruiting coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Arth started four seasons at quarterback for the Blue Streaks, setting 18 school records over his playing career. He earned consensus All-America recognition following each of his final two seasons and guided the Blue Streaks to a 12-2 record as a senior in 2002, earning a playoff berth and guiding the team to the National Semifinal Round for the first time in program history. Arth was named to D3Football.com's All-Decade Team (2000s) and was inducted into the university's athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.
Arth signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2003 as an undrafted free agent. He spent three seasons (2003-05) as a backup to Manning. In each of those seasons, the Colts won the AFC South Division. The Indianapolis staff, led by Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy and Hall of Fame General Manager Bill Polian, also featured L.A. Raiders General Manager Tom Telesco, who served as the director of pro scouting each of Arth's final two seasons.
His first two off-seasons with the Colts were spent playing in NFL Europe, first with the Scottish Claymores in 2004, then the Hamburg Sea Devils in 2005. He then signed with Green Bay in 2006 and spent training camp with the Packers, operating in a group that featured Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Arth later spent training camp with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, before capping his career in the Arena Football League from 2007-08.
Arth and his wife, Lauren, have five children, Carolina, Tommy, Kate, Patrick and Elizabeth.
