Following the departure of former head coach Leroy Hood after one season, former assistant coach Calvin Arnold has been promoted to lead the team.

Arnold began coaching football in 2004 in programs throughout Georgia, holding his first head coach position at Spencer High School in Columbus, where he worked to build the program from scratch.

“Being a head coach at Spencer was different because that was my first head coach job,” Arnold said. “I had to build a team from ground zero; so, it was challenging at first, but over the years, it got better.”

Arnold landed his second head coaching position at Carver-Columbus, where he got experience at a deep-rooted program and grew his versatility as a coach.

“At Carver High School, it was an already established program, so they had a set tradition,” Arnold said. “It was more like the expectation to win and to go deeper to the playoffs every year. So, that was the thing that they were expecting all the time.”

Arnold has been involved with the football program at Midtown for eight years as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator, coming from Carver-Columbus in 2018. Because of his time in the program, he is well-versed in the nature of the team and feels he can make an impact.

“You had different teams; you had teams who had good players; we had teams who had average players,” Arnold said. “But the most important thing is you had guys who really wanted to play and put forth the effort. I hope to and try to instill my attitude, as far as working as hard and doing everything correctly the first time and not having to redo three or four things over, over a period of time to actually get it. I want kids to learn how to play football the right way, as far as being distant, as far as being on time and just just having fun.”

Arnold started playing football at 10 years old, continuing throughout middle school, at Shaw high school, College at Grambling State and spending two years playing professional indoor football with the Columbus Lions  with his passion for football stemming from a young age.

“I just want to be around a game all the time,” Arnold said. “I love the game of football. What it teaches you about life, just not always about winning. What are you gonna do if your back is against the wall? How do you stay focused and drive to get to work with your goal is, you know, just seeing people progress each and every day, that’s perfect.”

He has transformed from a passionate player to a committed leader.

“I expect excellence,” Arnold said. “My drive is to always be the best. So, I try to teach everybody that I’m around. Hey, let’s try to be the best that we can be. Just doing the correct thing, doing small things, over a period of time, the small things make a big difference.”

GIVING GUIDANCE: Coach Calvin Arnold gives instruction to players on the field during a play. Arnold was involved in Midtown’s football program for eight years prior to becomming head coach. (Farris Duwayri)

=Throughout his time at Midtown, Arnold has worked as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator, building his experience and familiarity with the program.

“Coach Arnold is dedicated to the students and student athletes at Midtown,” Barksdale said. “He wants to see our student athletes excel on and off the field. He has a passion for strength and conditioning and is a seasoned football coach. We felt that he was the best person to step into the role.”

Arnold was selected for his key qualities needed in a head coach and to lead the team successfully. 

“Organization, planning, creating effective practice plans, communication skills, the ability to motivate student athletes, a high football IQ are just some of the characteristics we look for in a head coach,” Barksdale said. “Coach Arnold exhibits all of these traits.”

Arnold is looking to step up to the challenge of being the head coach and create positive development.

“It may be a hard job for some, but I look for hard jobs that I’m not trying to shy away from,” Arnold said. “The biggest thing from last year is to make sure that we get a lot stronger, because a lot of times we lost games because we were not strong. We have to get stronger to make sure that we control what we can control.”

Arnold has already stepped into the role, bringing players to the weight room and implementing the addition of camps for the summer.

“Coach Arnold is doing his best to make us perform better for the next season,” junior Nick Kaledin said. “He is making it possible for us to attend football camps during the summer, which I think will be very helpful for us. I am looking forward to a productive season with coach Arnold as our coach.”

Arnold is expected to bring positive changes to the team, from creating beneficial impacts as an assistant coach to now bringing new opportunities as a head coach.

“My experience with the football program has been great so far. I’m excited for my last season and hope to play well and stay healthy all season,” Kaledin said. “Coach Arnold will make us more disciplined, making us work harder in the weight room and on the field.”

With his time within the Midtown football program, Arnold is looking to take his familiarity with the team and bring the stable, consistent coaching the Knights need.

“I learned a long time ago, I had a coach,” Arnold said. “He said you have to adapt. If you don’t adapt, then a lot of times you’re not going to be as successful as you think you should be. You have to learn how to always learn. You have to just  stay ahead of the curve, so people will be well, you’ll know how to, how to adapt to different, different kids.”