Jim Arrington was born in Hattiesburg, MS, and moved to Irondale, AL with his family at an early age. In 1961, his family moved to Montgomery, AL. He attended Cloverdale Junior High School and played football from 1962 to 1964. Jim continued to play football and was exposed to the sport of wrestling at Sidney Lanier High School. His sophomore year (65-66) was endured by being tossed about and learning "how to fly" by teammate Chip Nix (1966 145# State Champion). The next year as a junior, Jim made the starting lineup at 145# and helped his team win many matches. That spring he sustained an injury during football spring training. The injury removed him from football and wrestling. Jim then began coaching junior high football and wrestling during his senior year. He and others helped establish junior high wrestling in Montgomery. In 1969, he attended Huntingdon College and accepted a position in the Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department as a coach in the Cloverdale Junior High athletic program. Upon graduation in 1972 from Huntingdon College, Jim began teaching at Cloverdale. In 1974, he moved to Capitol Heights Junior High as the varsity football and wrestling coach. In mid-1981, after several successful seasons of junior high football and wrestling, Robert E. Lee High School hired Jim to fill a teaching and coaching position (football and wrestling). During Jim's tenure at Lee, the "Grapplin' Generals" earned, as a team, two State Championships, two State Runners-Up, and three State 3rd place finishes. On the sectional level, Lee seized four Sectional Championships, three Sectional Runners-Up, and three Sectional 3rd place finishes. Between 1981 and 1995 there were many place finishers in the State Tournament including, Mike McDade (2x Champ), Anthony Lewis (2x Champ), Cullman Boyd (1985 MVW), Scott Knight (3x Champ), and Matt Thompson. In addition to coaching, Jim served as an AHSAA wrestling official (1976-1996) and as the AHSAA Wrestling Director for the South-Central District. After leaving coaching, Jim served as the Principal of Capitol Heights Junior High. He later retired from public education to be the Principal of the High School at St. James School. While there, Julian McPhillips, Karl Smeltzer, Matt Thompson, and Jim helped establish a wrestling program. He later served as the Head of School at two other schools. He presently serves as Vice President of the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) Board of Directors, AISA Accreditation Committee Chair, and a Leader of Accreditation Review Teams. Jim was inducted to the Robert E. Lee High School Hall of Fame in 2003. He and his wife, Veverly, reside in Enterprise, Alabama.