2026 Coach of the Year: RICK ARNOLD

June 18, 2026
Prep Baseball KY Staff

As we continue our annual postseason awards and recognize the top performers from across the Commonwealth, we are excited to introduce a new honor to Prep Baseball Kentucky in 2026 with our Coach of the Year award! In its inaugural year, this award goes to Trinity Shamrocks' Head Coach Rick Arnold!

Coach Arnold led Trinity to one of the most historic seasons in recent memory. The Shamrocks entered the spring as our preseason #1 team and never left that spot, holding the top position in our Power 25 rankings from start to finish while climbing into the national top 10. Trinity finished the season with a remarkable 41-3 record, including a perfect 31-0 mark against Kentucky opponents and a 24-game winning streak to close the year. Their dominance was evident in every phase. The Shamrocks recorded six no-hitters and 21 shutouts, several of which came during the postseason where they outscored postseason opponents 78-7 across eight games. This postseason run concluded with a second consecutive state championship, making Arnold's squad the first to go back-to-back since 1998. They finished 14-0 against teams that ended the season ranked inside our final Power 25 and challenged themselves against some of the nation's top programs, including a shutout victory over then-No. 1 nationally ranked St. John Bosco (CA).

Offensively, Trinity hit .359 as a team, totaling 398 hits and 411 runs, while the pitching staff posted a dominant 1.65 ERA with 355 strikeouts in 263.2 innings. Those numbers are a reflection of a roster loaded with talent, but also of the discipline and leadership managing it! A 1986 Trinity graduate, Arnold was inducted into the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame earlier this year and continues to add to one of the state's premier coaching résumés. Since taking over the program in 2015, he has compiled a 375-61 career record, six region championships, and three state titles, including back-to-back championships in 2025 and 2026.

More impressive than the wins and championships is the consistency with which Arnold's teams compete. Trinity's discipline and tougness were on display throughout a demanding schedule against elite competition. Managing one of the nation's most talented rosters is no easy task, but Coach Arnold continues to do so with humility, accountability, and a commitment to playing the game the right way. Congratulations to Rick Arnold, Prep Baseball Kentucky's inaugural Coach of the Year!