Born in Lake Worth, FL, Joe Arnold led the Florida Southern College baseball team as its Head Coach from 1977 to 1983. In seven seasons, he led the Moccasin baseball team to an overall win-loss record of 316–69 (.821), four Sunshine State Conference (SSC) championships (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983), six consecutive appearances in the Division II College World Series, two Division II national championships (1978, 1981) and two national second-place finishes (1979, 1982). Joe was also named National Coach of the Year in 1978 and 1981.

Arnold was the head coach of the Florida Gators baseball team at the University of Florida in Gainesville from 1984 to 1994. In eleven seasons, Arnold coached the Gators to an overall win-loss record of 434–244–2 (.640), two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (1984, 1988), three SEC tournament titles (1984, 1988, 1991), seven appearances in the Division I baseball tournament and the program’s first two appearances in the College World Series (1988, 1991). He was twice chosen by his fellow coaches as the SEC Coach of the Year (1984, 1988).

Arnold managed the Oneonta Yankees in 1997 and 1998 and the Staten Island Yankees in 1999 and 2000; both teams were the Yankees affiliates in the Class A New York–Penn League. In four seasons managing Single-A baseball, he compiled a record of 179–119 (.601). His Yankees teams finished first or second in the standings for three out of four years and won the league championship twice. Thereafter, he continued with the New York Yankees organization as a scout from 2001-2007.

In 2007, Joe Arnold became the head coach of Polk State College where he remained until 2010. Joe Arnold has been inducted into the Palm Beach County Hall of Fame, Florida Southern College Hall of Fame, Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame, and National Junior College Hall of Fame.