Akron fired coach Tom Arth on Thursday amid a 2-7 season.
Arth, 40, was in his third season with the Zips. The team was 0-12 in 2019 and 1-5 in 2020 during the pandemic-shortened season, giving him a 3-24 overall record with the program.
“We appreciate Coach Tom Arth’s work on behalf of our student-athletes and coaches and we wish him well moving forward,” athletic director Charles Guthrie said in a statement.
Oscar Rodriguez Jr., the associate head coach, will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, and the university will launch a national search for a permanent coach.
At Akron, Arth replaced Terry Bowden, who was fired. He earlier coached at his alma mater, Division III John Carroll, where he posted a 40-8 record. He also was 9-13 in two seasons at Chattanooga.
The Akron Beacon Journal said the school will pay him 75 percent of his salary remaining on the final two years of his five-year contract. His annual pay was $425,000.
Akron lost 31-25 to Ball State on Tuesday and has three games remaining on the season.
