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https://x.com/petethamel/status/17437616...Ss-W40i-Lg

Has changed jobs & moved almost every year

Walt Bell - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Bell

Hmm. Not sure what to think of this one. For a young coach, he has a lot of big time experience at major programs. Has not stayed in one place for more than a year or two. He doesn't seem to be respected by any of the fans of the schools he's been at. I know fans can be dramatic, but this hire is getting ridiculed by UMass, Florida State, and Indiana fans on social media. That doesn't seem like a good sign.

2007 Louisiana–Lafayette (GA)
2007–2008 Memphis (GA)
2009 Oklahoma State (QC)
2010 Southern Miss (GA)
2011 Southern Miss (WR)
2012–2013 North Carolina (TE/RC)
2014–2015 Arkansas State (AHC/OC/QB)
2016–2017 Maryland (OC/QB)
2018 Florida State (OC/QB)
2019–2021 UMass
2022–2023 Indiana (OC/QB)

Yeah, that Twitter thread is pretty rough.

Not going to judge the UMass gig, seems impossible to win there. Indiana seems like a bit of a graveyard for any coach as well.

But a lot of short stints, albeit at P5 programs, doesn’t give the warm fuzzies.

(01-06-2024 06:35 PM)okgc Wrote:  Has changed jobs & moved almost every year

So did Cosh. Difference is Bell has been at schools most people have heard of.

Questionable hire for a school with a history of offenses scoring a lot of points. Track record is very pedestrian.

I would rather have Cosh tbh

Hired as UMASS HC tells me at one point he was working the ladder. UMASS a hard place to win at so makes sense it didn't work out there. Biggest concern is getting fired at Indiana so quick (but I don't know their full situation, like how good were they supposed to be this past year - & why would you replace him w/ Rod Carey who lost at Temple????)

I believe Bell was considered a rapid riser in the coaching ranks at one point. Appears to have hit a few speed bumps of late. No idea if it will work out or not. Hoping for the best!

I guess we can only hope that he has gained experience through his travels across the CFB landscape. He's still a very young man by coaching standards, it may be that he hasn't truly hit his stride yet.

Fingers crossed!

Trust in Taylor's judgment in hiring assistants until proven otherwise.

Good hire. Hope we can keep him for 2 years minimum

I don’t know his X and O’s, but with his stops at all P5 programs, he should be a better judge of D1 talent.

Looks like his rise was a bit too meteoric. If I were him, I would get a little establishment and positive experience under my belt before burning out his resume. I know football is a little different, but I never, ever hire job jumpers, as they end up being a waste of time.

As some of our outgoing transfers last year learned, some opportunities aren't worth taking.

(01-06-2024 07:15 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Hmm. Not sure what to think of this one. For a young coach, he has a lot of big time experience at major programs. Has not stayed in one place for more than a year or two. He doesn't seem to be respected by any of the fans of the schools he's been at. I know fans can be dramatic, but this hire is getting ridiculed by UMass, Florida State, and Indiana fans on social media. That doesn't seem like a good sign.

2007 Louisiana–Lafayette (GA)
2007–2008 Memphis (GA)
2009 Oklahoma State (QC)
2010 Southern Miss (GA)
2011 Southern Miss (WR)
2012–2013 North Carolina (TE/RC)
2014–2015 Arkansas State (AHC/OC/QB)
2016–2017 Maryland (OC/QB)
2018 Florida State (OC/QB)
2019–2021 UMass
2022–2023 Indiana (OC/QB)

One advantage could be recruiting. Many connections in many areas.
He was successful enough to be in demand until he went to historically bad programs. I like his power 5 experience as opposed to our last OC with only FCS experience.

I know nothing about this guy but holy cow Twitter hates him.

(01-07-2024 03:01 PM)Bronc33 Wrote:  I know nothing about this guy but holy cow Twitter hates him.

That might be the best endorsement he could get.

Hard to hold UMASS and Indiana against him. UMASS is one of the most difficult jobs in football and Tom Allen was firing people left and right in the last two years in an attempt to keep his own job. Plus the talent level at UMASS and Indiana was/is less than the majority of their opponents.

I wouldn't expect much out of UMass -- but going 2-23 there, is bad.

That said, we're not getting him as HC. Nothing as OC that sticks out as churning out the pts. But he has experience being OC, and it seems places liked him as a guy to hire, so hopefully we'll get something mediocre out of him at least. To be back to our Cubit days, going 7-5 and content tying for 2nd place in the MAC West (or the equivalent for these future years) -- and going to a bowl. :)