North Carolina A&T

North Carolina A&T head softball coach Jose Gonzalez announced the hiring of Nyesha Arnold to become an assistant coach for the softball program on December 7, 2023. Arnold brings experience from her alma mater, Claflin University. Arnold will be responsible for coaching the A&T pitchers, among other administrative duties. 

She spent three seasons at the Orangeburg, S.C., Division II university, experiencing tremendous success during her tenure. Arnold coached the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) for two consecutive years. In 2022, Bre’Zhay Chambers won the honor, finishing with a 0.33 ERA against CIAA opponents. Jaelyn Jackson secured CIAA pitcher of the year accolades the following year after dominating nearly every statistical category this season. She finished 18-5 overall and 14-2 against CIAA opponents. Arnold also planned team travel, and she played a vital part in the recruiting efforts for the Panthers. 

Arnold’s efforts helped the Panthers win their first-ever CIAA championship, as they claimed the trophy in 2022. In the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship Tournament, they defeated Shippensburg and Bloomsburg before losing in the regional final to Seton Hill. 

The Panthers went 23-15 overall and 15-1 in conference playing during the season. The following year, the Panthers posted a school-record 32 wins, going 32-12 overall and 14-2 in league play, losing to Bowie State in the CIAA tournament championship game.  

Arnold began her coaching career at the high school level as she served as the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant coach at nearby Edisto High School, where she was a part of the program from 2018-19. 

During her time at Claflin as a player, she was a four-year letterwinner, earning the team’s freshman of the year award in 2014 and its defensive player of the year award in 2015. She helped the Panthers win the 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) softball title two years later. The NCAA selected her as a student to take part in the 2017 NCAA Careers Sports Forum.

Her roots in the sport run deep. She starred at Barnwell High School, securing all-state honors three times from the High School Sports Report. During her high school career, she earned both offensive and defense player of the year honors, leading the team to the 2011 South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) Class AA championship.

 Arnold is a 2017 graduate of Claflin University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in human performance & recreation.