University of South Alabama Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann announced Wednesday that head men’s basketball coach Ronnie Arrow has announced his retirement, effective immediately.

Associate head coach Jeff Price will serve as interim head coach the rest of the 2012-13 campaign, with a national search for Arrow’s successor set to begin at the conclusion of season.

Arrow departs as the winningest coach in both school and Sun Belt Conference history, having compiled a 211-161 record at USA including a 112-84 mark in league contests. He has been selected the Sun Belt Coach of the Year on three occasions, guided the Jaguars to a school-record 26 victories during the 2007-08 season and led USA to its only NCAA Tournament win, an 86-84 decision over Alabama, on March 17, 1989.

He has an overall record of 345-252 at the NCAA Division I level after starting the program at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 1999 — Arrow was chosen the Southland Conference Coach of the Year after taking the Islanders to the 2007 NCAA Tournament — and has won 647 contests in 31-plus years total after leading San Jacinto (Texas) Junior College to National Junior College Athletic Association national championships in 1983, ’84 and ’86.

Price has previously served as head coach at three schools, posting a 318-188 record in 17 seasons at Lynn (Fla.), Georgia Southern and West Virginia Wesleyan; that total includes eight 20-win seasons and eight postseason appearances. He led GSU to 165 victories — the third-highest total in school history — and a .533 winning percentage, taking the Eagles to the 2006 National Invitation Tournament, while from 1993-99 Price recorded a .764 winning percentage and guided Lynn to six national postseason berths. Price was named the NCAA Division II National Coach of the year in 1997 after leading the Fighting Knights to a 28-3 mark.

In his only season at WVWU, Price led the school to the NCAA Division II Tournament and a 19-11 record in 2010-11 one year after the Bobcats finished 8-21.