Brian Bell enters his sixth season coaching the Aggie secondary in 2020. He joined the NM State staff in May of 2015.
In 2017, Bell helped lead the Aggies to their first bowl game in 57 years and the 2017 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl Championship in front of 25,000-plus Aggie fans at Arizona Stadium on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017.
Bell and the Aggies finished the 2017 regular season 7-6 and 4-4 against Sun Belt opponents. These victories included a sweep over NM State’s rivals UTEP and New Mexico for the first time since 2002. The win in 2017 over UNM was the second win in as many years against the Lobos.
On defense, Bell helped lead his secondary unit to a strong season. NM State collected 16 interceptions on the season with 12 of them coming from players in the secondary. Meanwhile, the defense as a unit held their final three opponents to 20 points or less and at season's end seven players on the defensive side of the ball were named All-Conference in the Sun Belt.
Under Bell's watch, safety Ron LaForce claimed Newcomer of the Year honors in the Sun Belt. LaForce began his NM State career with a pair of interceptions against in-state rival New Mexico, which earned the defensive back player of the week honors following the debut. The junior finished his first campaign in the Crimson & White with 98 tackles and three picks. He became the third Aggie to earn Newcomer of the Year honors and the first since Terrill Hanks (2015).
Defensive back Shamad Lomax earned Third Team All-Conference honors in the Sun Belt, completing the 2017 season tied for second in the Sun Belt with four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and led the conference with four forced fumbles.
Senior safety Jaden Wright collected three interceptions while junior defensive back DeMarcus Owens chipped in with a pair of interceptions in 2017.
In 2016, Bell coaches NM State secondary to 13 interceptions, including five from All-Conference safety, Jaden Wright. Defensive back Jacob Nwangwa finished fourth on the team in tackles with 88. Meanwhile, Wright compiled 81 tackles in 2016. Bell also helped guide defensive back Shamad Lomax to 66 tackles and a pair of interceptions on the season.
Before NM State, Bell coached eight seasons at Minnesota State-Mankato, working with the secondary and serving as the Mavericks recruiting coordinator. During the final four seasons, Bell supervised 10 Mavericks who received All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors in the defensive backfield.
He was an integral part of Minnesota State’s three straight undefeated regular seasons over the last three years. He helped pace MSU to the 2014 NCAA Division II national championship game, the 2012 national semifinal and the 2013 regional semifinal as the Mavericks rolled up a 38-3 record.
Bell helped Minnesota State record an eight-year record of 67-22, with five postseason appearances (four in the NCAA II playoffs) during his tenure.
His 2009 Minnesota State defensive backs hauled in 29 interceptions to lead NCAA Division II and establish a school record. Overall, MSU recorded 164 interceptions since Bell’s arrival in 2007, which included 22 or more in each of the last three seasons.
Bell spent the summer of 2014 with the San Francisco 49ers as part of the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship, and was selected to participate in the 2009 NCAA Football Coaches Academy.
Bell started his coaching career at Aldine Eisenhower High School in Houston, Texas, then served as a secondary coach and wide receivers coach at Dakota State and at Iowa Central Community College before arriving at Minnesota State-Mankato.
Bell graduated in 2003 from Bemidji State University with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He added a master’s degree in educational technology from Dakota State University in 2005.
Bell and his wife Amanda have twins, son Bronx and daughter Brooklyn.
