Odessa College officially named Tra Arnold its new men's basketball head coach in a press release Tuesday morning. Arnold had held the same position at Blinn College for the last three seasons.
In his final season with the Buccaneers, Arnold guided his team to a 27-7 record and a berth in the Region XIV tournament championship game. Arnold came to Blinn College as an assistant coach in 2005 and since then 24 of his players have signed with Division I teams, according to his resume.
Instead of attending a press conference in Odessa on Tuesday, Arnold was out recruiting, according to the press release.
Arnold takes over for Dennis Helms who was not retained after Odessa College lost in the Region V Tournament semifinals and finished the season with a 24-8 mark.
Arnold was one of six finalists for the job, according to Odessa College athletic director Wayne Baker, along with Campbell University assistant coach Brain Burg; Tuskegee University assistant coach John D. Douglas; Odessa College interim head coach Zack Janus; Wallace State Community College (Ala.) head coach John D. Meeks Jr.; and Middle Tennessee State director of basketball operations Mike Scutero.
Scutero was a former assistant coach at Odessa College while Meeks submitted a 30-page application.
