James Arnold
James Arnold
Title: Head Women's Basketball Coach/Associate Director of Athletics
Phone: (573) 592-5345
Email: James.Arnold@westminster-mo.edu
James Arnold enters his second season as the Head Women’s Basketball and Associate Director of Athletics at Westminster College.
 
In his first season at the helm of the program, Arnold's team recorded the top three records for points in a game in school history, while improving the win total from the 2016-17 season. The squad reached the SLIAC Tournament title game for the fourth time in school history, becoming the first-ever No. 4 seed in the tournament to upset the top seed and advance to the championship. The team was ranked No. 2 nationally in offensive rebounding and ranked No. 17 on the WBCA Academic Honor Roll. 
 
Under Arnold, Kendahl Adams was named to the SLIAC All-Conference first team and the D3Hoops.com All-Region team. She set records for points in a season, field goals in a season, and rebounds in a season. Freshman Grace Archambault was named the Newcomer of the Year.
 
Arnold comes to the Blue Jays with head coaching experience at many college levels, most recently serving as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Southeast Missouri State University for two seasons. His primary role with the Redhawks was the recruiting coordinator and post-coach.

Prior to SEMO, Arnold spent four seasons at the helm of the Central Methodist Eagles program in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. He led his teams to a record of 79-45 in his four seasons as an Eagle, including a 42-30 record in the HAAC. During the 2012-13 season, the team recorded a 25-8 record to end the season and earn a bid to the NAIA Division I National Championship. During that season, the Eagles spent four weeks ranked in the top 25 national poll, including spending a week at No. 17.

After his first year at Central Methodist, Arnold's team finished third in the conference and increased his team's win total by 12 that year, earning HAAC Co-Coach of the Year honors.

Along with coaching successful teams on the court, Arnold has a proven track record of ensuring the academic success of his teams in the classroom. During his four years at CMU, 19 of the student-athletes on his teams were named to the NAIA Dakrontics Honor Roll, and his 13-14 squad was named 20th in the nation in the NAIA WBCA Honor Roll.

Arnold also spent four years as the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Highland Community College in Highland, Kansas, and five years at the helm of the North Central Missouri College in Trenton, Missouri, earning two NJCAA Region 16 Championships, one NJCAA District F Championship, and the Sportsmanship Award at the NJCAA Division II Tournament.

During the 2007 season, Arnold and his team recorded a 30-win season and finished sixth in the NJCAA Division II Tournament, earning a spot in the North Central Missouri College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

Arnold received a bachelor's degree from Glenville State College in West Virginia where he was a member of the men's basketball team. He received his Executive Masters of Business Administration from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Arnold is a native of Paw Paw, West Virginia. James and his wife, Lesley, have one daughter, Audrey.