Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Director, Player Development and Athletics Culture
- Email:
- aguin@ia.ua.edu
- Phone:
- 205-348-4551
Dr. Arnie Guin joined the Alabama women’s basketball program as the director of player development and athletics culture in July 2021. Guin, who has more than 30 years of experience as a pastor, counselor, mental skills coach and professor, primarily assists Crimson Tide student-athletes and staff with team culture, mental skills and counseling. He also aids the men’s basketball and gymnastic programs at the Capstone.
Guin (pronounced GYOO-in), who was a registered psychotherapist in the state of Colorado, first began working with Alabama men's basketball head coach Nate Oats at Buffalo during an era of unprecedented success in its men’s basketball program. He continues in a full-time role in Tuscaloosa as a life skills counselor and one of the few official “mental skills coaches” in all of college basketball.
During his time working with the Buffalo men’s basketball program from 2017-19, the Bulls reached unprecedented heights by making consecutive NCAA Tournament Round of 32 appearances, earning a pair of MAC Tournament and regular season championships and owning a combined record of 59-13 (.819). The 59 victories set a school record for a two-year span, while Buffalo’s 32 wins during the 2018-19 campaign was also a single-season high for the program.
During his time in the New York area, Guin operated a consulting firm in Buffalo and had a decade of experience working with athletes on their confidence and approach in life, including working with a number of professional as well as collegiate athletes across a variety of sports.
While working with the men’s basketball program, he and Oats collaborated to create “The Bulls’ Way of Life,” a year-long mental skills training curriculum that included a summer seminar, weekly meetings with the team, pregame visualizations and one-on-one counseling.
In addition to his work in the sports world, Guin has served various roles in in the ministry field, most recently serving as the executive director and lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Grand Island, N.Y.
Before making the move to New York, Guin was based in Colorado where he was a registered psychotherapist. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Colorado Christian University and was the executive director of business and medical careers.
In Colorado, Guin began his working with professional athletes who competed in the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Through his work with high-profile players, Guin gained the experience and knowledge to work with elite athletes, focusing on the mental skillset needed in order to be successful both on and off the court.
Guin, who recently became certified in positive psychology, earned his doctorate of ministry from Newburgh Theological Seminary in 2011. He also holds a masters of divinity from Western Seminary (2000) and earned his bachelors in communication from Puget Sound Christian College (1997).
Guin and his wife, Hope, have two grown children, Seth and Mya.
