Coach Jinks Arnold

By: Haroun Savage (NCMFC Staff)

In the latest Member Spotlight, I spoke to Hope College Special Teams Coordinator & Cornerbacks Coach Jinks Arnold. Football was part of Coach Jinks Arnold’s life from an early age. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs as the son of a coach, he was surrounded by family members who played the game, including his uncles and cousins. Coach Arnold began playing with the Harvey Colts, where his love for football grew through the guidance of family members, coaches, and other role models.

Coach Arnold went on to play defensive back and running back at Plainfield North High School. His college playing career took him to Grand Rapids Community College, Southwest Baptist, and Rockford University. As he moved between programs, conversations with different coaches pushed him to study the game more closely and think about it beyond his responsibilities as a player.

His first opportunity to coach came after his playing career ended. Coach Arnold stayed at Rockford as a student assistant, and a graduate assistant invited him to coach linebackers at Rockford Jefferson High School, where they had just taken a job as their Defensive Coordinator. Coach Arnold recalls that first few seasons as difficult ones. In his mid-twenties, he was learning how to lead players while trying to be the best mentor he could be, both on and off the field.

Coach Arnold later became co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at South Elgin High School. Working with players from a wider range of backgrounds helped him develop an approach that remains central to his coaching: meet people where they are, learn what they need, and help them grow.

A call from his former junior college coach brought Coach Arnold to Ferris State, where he coached cornerbacks. It was his first college coaching experience and gave him a close look at how a program builds toward sustained success. He worked with talented players, including Tavier Thomas, and learned from a staff that allowed him to develop as a coach. In 2018, Ferris State reached the Division II national championship game. Being part of that run made Coach Arnold eager to return to a championship stage.

Coach Arnold later spent a season as head coach at Benton Harbor High School. He stayed in contact with coaches he had worked with, and Hope College head coach Peter Stuursma encouraged him to be ready when an opportunity opened. After several conversations, Coach Arnold accepted the chance to return to college football as Hope’s special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach.



Now coaching special teams and cornerbacks at Hope, Coach Arnold appreciates the time he can spend with players and fellow coaches. He has found a place where those relationships make the work rewarding. His approach combines high energy, detailed instruction, and a teacher’s mindset. Coach Arnold also remains committed to learning, improving, and setting an example through his work ethic. 

Coach Arnold credits his father, brothers, and High school coaches as important role models, along with Head Coach Tony Annese and the Ferris State coaches who invested in him. He also looks to coaches such as Mike Tomlin and Marcus Freeman, whose paths included special teams and opportunities at different levels of football.

In the near term, Coach Arnold wants to be known as someone who loves to connect, inspire, and develop others while making special teams more effective at any level. Looking further ahead, he hopes to coach in another championship game and pursue an opportunity at the Division I or NFL level.

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