Indiana has hired former UMass coach Walt Bell as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the school announced Thursday.
Bell comes to IU after he was fired in early November following a 2-23 record in three seasons with the Minutemen. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State (2014-15), Maryland (2016-17), and Florida State (2018).
"Walt checked all the boxes that we were looking for," IU coach Tom Allen said in a prepared statement. "His experience, creativity, and leadership make him an ideal fit. I was looking for someone to be the leader of the offense and Walt will be that. We welcome him and his family to Bloomington."
In 15 years of coaching, Bell has also held positions at North Carolina (2012-13), Southern Miss (2010-11), Oklahoma State (2009), and Memphis (2007-08).
"I'm incredibly excited to work for a man like Tom Allen," Bell said in the statement. "Everyone I've talked with has raved about Indiana, and I'm ready to start building relationships with our players and working with this staff. I'm really looking forward to coaching in the Big Ten again and can't wait to get started."
In his lone season in Tallahassee, FSU ranked second in the ACC and 28th nationally with 270.1 passing yards per game. At Maryland, Bell managed the Terrapins in 2017 as they rotated through four injured quarterbacks. Despite the injuries, Bell's offense ranked in the top 20 nationally for fewest turnovers (14), which shared a school record. During Bell's 26-game tenure at Arkansas State, the Red Wolves eclipsed 500 yards of total offense 11 times and 400 yards 18 times. The 2015 team ranked 12th nationally, averaging 40 points.
Arkansas State set single-season school records with 6,194 total yards, an average of 476.5 yards, 1,024 plays, 477 points, and 65 touchdowns in 2014. The team ranked 18th in the country in scoring (36.7), 20th in total offense, and 25th in rushing (216.4).
A native of Dickson, Tennessee, Bell was a four-year letterman at Middle Tennessee State, where he was a wide receiver.