Iona College men’s basketball head coach Tim Cluess announced the promotion of Tra Arnold to associate head coach. Arnold enters his second season with the Maroon & Gold in 2019-20.
“Coach Arnold has been a great asset to the Iona basketball program,” said Cluess. “His tireless work-ethic and passion for the game has helped this program sustain its success last season and provided our student-athletes the opportunity to achieve their goals both on and off the court.”
Arnold came to New Rochelle from Odessa College in Texas prior to the 2018-19 campaign. In Arnold’s first season, Iona rebounded from a challenging start to the year to earn MAAC regular season and tournament championships while earning an appearance in the NCAA Championship for the fourth straight season. The Gaels currently hold NCAA Division I’s longest conference tournament winning streak.
Prior to Iona, Arnold spent six years as head men’s basketball coach at Odessa College, a member of the NJCAA in Northwest Texas. Under his tutelage, the Wranglers won the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) and NJCAA Region V Championships twice and made three straight appearances in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. Arnold was also named the WJCAC Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2018, and was awarded the Region V Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017. During his time as head coach, 44 student-athletes transitioned to NCAA Division I programs while also garnering three NJCAA Division I First Team All-Americans.
Before Odessa, Arnold served as head coach at Blinn College for three years.
A native of Houston, Texas, Arnold is a graduate of Clear Creek High School. He was student-athlete at College of Southern Idaho and NCAA Division II Biola University in La Mirada, California. 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.
Tra Arnold Named Iona MBB Associate Head Coach
