Dave Arnold (born September 17, 1944) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Montana State University team from 1983 to 1986, compiling a record of 18–29. Arnold led his 1984 Montana State Bobcats team to a 12–2 record, a Big Sky Conference title, and the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship. For his effort, he was named the AFCA Division I-AA Coach of the Year that season. The 1984 championship run followed a season in 1983 in which the Bobcats finished 1–10 and last in the conference. The 11-game turnaround is one of the largest in college football history.