Following up on something that I mentioned in the Daily Dirt late last week…Samford has made the hiring of Tra Arnold as an assistant coach official today. Here is the release:
The Samford men’s basketball program has hired Tra Arnold as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, Head Coach Bucky McMillan announced Monday.
Arnold comes to Samford after spending the last two seasons on the staff at Iona. He was the team’s associate head coach during the 2018-20 seasons, helping lead the team to the MAAC regular-season and tournament titles as well as an NCAA Tournament bid.
Prior to his time at Iona, Arnold spent six seasons as the head coach at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas. He amassed a record of 159-32 in six seasons with three straight national tournament appearances. He was a two-time Region V and WJCAC Coach of the Year. He also led the program to a pair of Region V titles and three NJCAA Tournament appearances. Over his six seasons in charge of the program, Odessa averaged 26.5 wins per season.
Arnold worked on the staff at Blinn College in Texas from 2005 to 2012. He served as an assistant coach from 2005 to 2009 and as the head coach of the program from 2009 to 2012. His 2011-12 team earned the most wins in program history and was a Region XIV finalist for the first time in program history.
Arnold received an associate in arts degree from College of Southern Idaho in 2002, a bachelor’s in kinesiology from Biola University in 2005 and a Master’s in physical education from Prairie View A&M University in 2009. Arnold and his wife Jodi have two sons, Tavin and Carson, and a daughter Quinn.
