Former Trojan assistant takes head coaching job


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Gib Arnold, who was a USC men’s basketball assistant coach for five seasons before USC coach Kevin O’Neill fired him earlier this month, has accepted the post of coach at the University of Hawai’i.

Arnold was praised during his time at USC for his recruiting abilities. Named one of Rivals.com’s top-25 recruiters in the country prior to the 2006-2007 season, Arnold was instrumental in recruiting former Trojans DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson, among others.

Hawai’i’s athletic director, Jim Donovan, announced Arnold’s selection to a small crowd in Honolulu on Saturday after an extended search to replace former coach Bob Nash, who went 34-56 in three seasons.

Arnold is the son of former Hawai’i coach Frank Arnold and played prep basketball in Honolulu during his high school years.

Prior to joining USC, Arnold had traveled around the country as both an assistant coach and head coach, stopping at Pepperdine, Vanderbilt, Loyola Marymount and Utah Valley State as an assistant coach before taking the head position at Southern Idaho in 2004. Arnold compiled a 57-14 record in two seasons at CSI before accepting the assistant job under then-coach Tim Floyd.