Ronnie Arrow
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Lee Arrow is an American
college basketball
coach and the current head coach at the University of South Alabama
.
). He graduated with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education in 1969.
in Pasadena, Texas
from 1977 to 1987 where he tallied a record of 302-43 and guided the Ravens to 10 Texas Junior College Athletic Conference titles as well as NJCAA
championships in 1983, 1984 and 1986. He was named the NJCAA Region XIV Coach-of-the-Year in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 and the national Coach-of-the-Year in 1983 and 1986. His 1985-86 squad led the nation in scoring, averaging 101 points per game.
Arrow was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 1989 after guiding the Jaguars to both the regular and post-season tournament SunBelt titles.
South Alabama finished with a 23-9 mark, a first round NCAA Tournament victory over cross-state rival Alabama before falling 91-82 to the eventual national champion Michigan
in the second round. The Jags finished the season ranked 24th in the country.
Following the 1990-1991 season, Arrow was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach-of-the-Year for the second time after engineering the most dramatic turnaround in league history. That year, his Jaguars became the first SunBelt squad ever to leap from last to first place in a single season. Projected to finish fifth in the conference, South Alabama went on to capture the league crown with an 11-3 mark.
The Jags finished the season with a 22-9 record, swept through the Sun Belt Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament before falling to Utah
in the first-round.
Over the years, Arrow developed a reputation in the collegiate basketball circles for up-tempo, high-scoring teams. His squads led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring four of his seven seasons at South Alabama. His 1988-89 squad set a school and league record 91 points per game average and five of his seven teams tallied at least 80 points per game.
Arrow was dismissed by then university president Frederick Whiddon
in the fall of 1994 after beginning the that season 1-3 and suffering losses in his final two games by 68 and 46 points.
.
Among his players were future NBA
stars Grant Hill
, Calbert Cheaney and Allan Houston
.
Arrow began the Islanders program in July 1998. Arrow guided A&M–Corpus Christi to an impressive 13–13 mark in year one of the project. The Islanders, winners of five-consecutive games to close the season, turned some heads early with their 76–74 upset of 2000 NCAA-Tournament qualifier, Samford
in the first round of the Holiday Tribune Classic. A&M-Corpus Christi even took its cracks at "Goliath" as well. In the finals of the Holiday Tribune Classic, the Islanders were tied 34-34 with Iowa State, the eventual champion of the Big 12 Conference
and a team that advanced to the Elite Eight
.
Arrow put Texas A&M–Corpus Christi on the national map in 2003 when they were ranked in the top-25 Mid-Major Poll nearly the entire season last year and even received votes in the ESPN
/USA Today
Top-25 Coaches Poll during the 2004-2005 season.
His Islanders got immediate attention when they took down Florida State
, 70-67 on the Seminoles home court on Nov. 22, 2004, then followed that up with an upset win over Old Dominion
, handing the Monarchs one of their five losses in the regular season.
During his tenure, Arrow led the Islanders to wins over such programs as Texas Tech
and Texas A&M
, as well as 2004 NCAA Tournament-qualifier Murray State
.
During the 2000–01 campaign, Arrow's Islanders notched a 14–14 record, which included an 86-80 victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock
. Under his direction, the Islanders eclipsed the 100-point barrier six times en route to an 85.5-point per game average, which would have ranked third in the country if not for TAMUCC's "provisional" status. Michael Hicks finished off his brilliant two-year career by posting 26.7 points per contest, which would have ranked second among all NCAA Division I scorers. He gained all-region honors following the season.
In 2007 Arrow and the Islanders earned their first birth in the NCAA Tournament at Midwest Regional as the #15 seed. They lost 76-63 to #2 seed Wisconsin
in the first round.
Arrow was 134–91 in eight years at A&M-Corpus Christi. His last three years, the Islanders were 66–23. the won the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles and made the school's first NCAA appearance in 2007, losing to number 2 seed, Wisconsin
in the first round after leading by 18 pts. He was named the 2007 Southland Conference Coach of the Year.
, who left for the University of Arkansas
. It is quite incredible that South Alabama has hired him again. Arrow intends to employ the same up-tempo style of basketball and build on the success of a South Alabama club that went 44-19 the last two years under Pelphrey.
On January 24, 2009, in a game against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
's Ragin' Cajuns
, Arrow contested the winning shot, claiming that the buzzer sounded before the Cajuns' Randell Daigle made the 3-point shot to win the game. After reviewing the video, Arrow argued with officials while a sports intern from KLFY-TV
filmed the incident. There has been no official complaint filed with the Sun Belt Conference
or with South Alabama over the ordeal.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and the current head coach at the University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
.
Playing career
Arrow was a two-year All-Lone Star Conference honoree and a three-year letterman at Southwest Texas State (presently named Texas StateTexas State University–San Marcos
Texas State University–San Marcos is a doctoral-granting university located in San Marcos, Texas...
). He graduated with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education in 1969.
San Jacinto
Arrow served as head coach at San Jacinto CollegeSan Jacinto College
San Jacinto College is a community college in the Greater Houston area in the U.S. state of Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the areas of Channelview ISD, Deer Park ISD, Galena Park ISD, La Porte ISD, and Pasadena ISD. The College now also serves Sheldon ISD,...
in Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
from 1977 to 1987 where he tallied a record of 302-43 and guided the Ravens to 10 Texas Junior College Athletic Conference titles as well as NJCAA
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
championships in 1983, 1984 and 1986. He was named the NJCAA Region XIV Coach-of-the-Year in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 and the national Coach-of-the-Year in 1983 and 1986. His 1985-86 squad led the nation in scoring, averaging 101 points per game.
South Alabama
Arrow was named head coach of the Jaguars on July 1, 1987 and in his seven seasons as the Jaguars coach, Arrow compiled a record of 114-93.Arrow was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 1989 after guiding the Jaguars to both the regular and post-season tournament SunBelt titles.
South Alabama finished with a 23-9 mark, a first round NCAA Tournament victory over cross-state rival Alabama before falling 91-82 to the eventual national champion Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the second round. The Jags finished the season ranked 24th in the country.
Following the 1990-1991 season, Arrow was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach-of-the-Year for the second time after engineering the most dramatic turnaround in league history. That year, his Jaguars became the first SunBelt squad ever to leap from last to first place in a single season. Projected to finish fifth in the conference, South Alabama went on to capture the league crown with an 11-3 mark.
The Jags finished the season with a 22-9 record, swept through the Sun Belt Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament before falling to Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in the first-round.
Over the years, Arrow developed a reputation in the collegiate basketball circles for up-tempo, high-scoring teams. His squads led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring four of his seven seasons at South Alabama. His 1988-89 squad set a school and league record 91 points per game average and five of his seven teams tallied at least 80 points per game.
Arrow was dismissed by then university president Frederick Whiddon
Frederick Palmer Whiddon
Frederick Palmer Whiddon was the founder and long-time president of the University of South Alabama, the first four-year state-supported university in Mobile, Alabama....
in the fall of 1994 after beginning the that season 1-3 and suffering losses in his final two games by 68 and 46 points.
Junior World Cup Team
In the summer of 1989, Arrow coached the United States Junior World Cup Team to a perfect 7-0 record and the gold medal at the Pan-Amnerican Basketball Confederatio (COPABA) Junior World Championship in UruguayUruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
.
| Ronnie Arrow Div–I Career | ||
| Season | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | South Alabama | 15–14 |
| 1988–89 | South Alabama | 23–9 |
| 1989–90 | South Alabama | 11–17 |
| 1990–91 | South Alabama | 22–9 |
| 1991–92 | South Alabama | 14–14 |
| 1992–93 | South Alabama | 15–13 |
| 1993–94 | South Alabama | 13–14 |
| 1994–95 | South Alabama | 1–3 |
| 1999–00 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 13–13 |
| 2000–01 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 14–14 |
| 2001–02 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 12–15 |
| 2002–03 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 14–15 |
| 2003–04 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 15–11 |
| 2004–05 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 20–8 |
| 2005–06 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 20–8 |
| 2006–07 | A&M–Corpus Christi | 26–7 |
| 2007–08 | South Alabama | 26–6 |
| Overall 134–91 (.595) | ||
Among his players were future NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
stars Grant Hill
Grant Hill (basketball)
Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...
, Calbert Cheaney and Allan Houston
Allan Houston
Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...
.
Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
Arrow is the first basketball coach at TAMCC and started the program as a Division I school after it had gone 25 years without a basketball program. He got the job thanks to a recommendation from Tim Floyd.Arrow began the Islanders program in July 1998. Arrow guided A&M–Corpus Christi to an impressive 13–13 mark in year one of the project. The Islanders, winners of five-consecutive games to close the season, turned some heads early with their 76–74 upset of 2000 NCAA-Tournament qualifier, Samford
Samford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
in the first round of the Holiday Tribune Classic. A&M-Corpus Christi even took its cracks at "Goliath" as well. In the finals of the Holiday Tribune Classic, the Islanders were tied 34-34 with Iowa State, the eventual champion of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
and a team that advanced to the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
.
Arrow put Texas A&M–Corpus Christi on the national map in 2003 when they were ranked in the top-25 Mid-Major Poll nearly the entire season last year and even received votes in the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
/USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Top-25 Coaches Poll during the 2004-2005 season.
His Islanders got immediate attention when they took down Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, 70-67 on the Seminoles home court on Nov. 22, 2004, then followed that up with an upset win over Old Dominion
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
, handing the Monarchs one of their five losses in the regular season.
During his tenure, Arrow led the Islanders to wins over such programs as Texas Tech
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
and Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, as well as 2004 NCAA Tournament-qualifier Murray State
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
.
During the 2000–01 campaign, Arrow's Islanders notched a 14–14 record, which included an 86-80 victory over Texas Tech in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Under his direction, the Islanders eclipsed the 100-point barrier six times en route to an 85.5-point per game average, which would have ranked third in the country if not for TAMUCC's "provisional" status. Michael Hicks finished off his brilliant two-year career by posting 26.7 points per contest, which would have ranked second among all NCAA Division I scorers. He gained all-region honors following the season.
In 2007 Arrow and the Islanders earned their first birth in the NCAA Tournament at Midwest Regional as the #15 seed. They lost 76-63 to #2 seed Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in the first round.
Arrow was 134–91 in eight years at A&M-Corpus Christi. His last three years, the Islanders were 66–23. the won the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles and made the school's first NCAA appearance in 2007, losing to number 2 seed, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in the first round after leading by 18 pts. He was named the 2007 Southland Conference Coach of the Year.
South Alabama (II)
On April 17, 2007 Arrow returned for a second tenure at South Alabama. He takes over a veteran team left by John PelphreyJohn Pelphrey
John Leslie Pelphrey is an American college basketball coach and was the 14th head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas . After being named Kentucky's "Mr. Basketball" in 1987, he became a star college player at the University of Kentucky. Prior to coaching the Razorbacks, he...
, who left for the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. It is quite incredible that South Alabama has hired him again. Arrow intends to employ the same up-tempo style of basketball and build on the success of a South Alabama club that went 44-19 the last two years under Pelphrey.
On January 24, 2009, in a game against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
's Ragin' Cajuns
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The school competes in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play home...
, Arrow contested the winning shot, claiming that the buzzer sounded before the Cajuns' Randell Daigle made the 3-point shot to win the game. After reviewing the video, Arrow argued with officials while a sports intern from KLFY-TV
KLFY-TV
KLFY-TV, channel 10, is a CBS affiliated television station in Lafayette, Louisiana. Broadcasting on DTV 10.1, its transmitter is located in Maxie, Louisiana...
filmed the incident. There has been no official complaint filed with the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
or with South Alabama over the ordeal.
Awards
- 1983 NJCAA National Coach of the Year
- 1983 NJCAA Region XIV Coach of the Year
- 1984 NJCAA Region XIV Coach of the Year
- 1986 NJCAA National Coach of the Year
- 1986 NJCAA Region XIV Coach of the Year
- 1987 NJCAA Region XIV Coach of the Year
- 1989 Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year
- 1991 Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year
- 2007 Southland Conference Coach of the Year
- 2008 Sunbelt Conference Coach of the Year
Personal
- Arrow and his wife, Nelda, have one daughter, Ailey.
- In junior college, Arrow coached several players who went onto enjoy careers in the NBA: Walter Berry, Alton Lister, Ladell Eackles and Larry Spriggs.
- Bachelor of Science, Southwest Texas State, 1969
- Master of Education, Sam Houston State, 1972
- Before becoming a college coach, Arrow served as head coach at Pasadena (Texas) High School.