Mike Bell (baseball coach)

{{Short description|American college baseball coach and former pitcher}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Mike Bell

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Pittsburgh

| current_conference = ACC

| current_record = 133–147

| contract =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|10|14}}

| birth_place = Sarasota, Florida, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| player_years1 = 1992–1993

| player_team1 = Pasco–Hernando State College

| player_years2 = 1994–1995

| player_team2 = Florida State

| player_years3 = 1995

| player_team3 = Vermont Expos

| player_years4 = 1995

| player_team4 = Albany Polecats

| player_years5 = 1996

| player_team5 = Delmarva Shorebirds

| player_years6 = 1996–1997

| player_team6 = West Palm Beach Expos

| player_years7 = 1998

| player_team7 = Jupiter Hammerheads

| player_years8 = 1998

| player_team8 = Frederick Keys

| player_years9 = 1999–2000

| player_team9 = Bowie Baysox

| player_positions = Pitcher

| coach_years1 = 2001–2002

| coach_team1 = Brandon (FL) HS

| coach_years2 = 2003–2004

| coach_team2 = Florida Southern (asst)

| coach_years3 = 2005–2007

| coach_team3 = Tennessee (asst)

| coach_years4 = 2008–2011

| coach_team4 = Oklahoma (asst)

| coach_years5 = 2012–2018

| coach_team5 = Florida State (asst)

| coach_years6 = 2019–present

| coach_team6 = Pittsburgh

| overall_record = 133–147

| tournament_record = ACC: 4–5
NCAA: 0–0

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Michael John Bell (born October 14, 1972) is an American college baseball coach and former pitcher. Bell is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers baseball team.

Amateur career

Bell attended Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida. As a member of the baseball team, Bell was a two-time All-Area selection.{{cite web |url=http://www.soonersports.com/fls/31000/old_site/pdf/m-basebl/20090210_bb_guide_section3.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=31000 |title=Oklahoma Staff |publisher=University of Oklahoma |work=www.soonersports.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}} Upon graduation from Riverview, Bell enrolled at Pasco–Hernando State College. Bell was the first ever baseball signee in the history of Pasco–Hernando State, helping the Bobcats build their field, and hitting the first home run in program history.{{cite web |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/baseball/2015/02/24/henry-blog-winterling-credits-fsu-experience-success/23950643/ |title=Henry Blog: Winterling credits FSU experience for success |author=Jim Henry |date=February 24, 2015 |publisher=Tallahassee Democrat |work=www.tallahassee.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}} After graduating from Pasco–Hernando State, Bell accepted a baseball scholarship offer from Florida State University. In 1993, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author= |url=https://utsports.com/sports/baseball/roster/mike-bell/522 |title=#20 Mike Bell |publisher=utsports.com |date= |accessdate=September 23, 2021}} Bell helped the Seminoles to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1994 and 1995.{{cite web |url=https://utsports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=522 |title=Mike Bell |publisher=University of Tennessee Athletics |work=www.utsports.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}

Professional career

The Montreal Expos selected Bell in the tenth round as a pitcher, with the 563rd overall selection, of the 1995 MLB Draft. The Expos assigned Bell to the Vermont Expos of the Rookie-level New York–Penn League, where he made seven appearances before he was promoted to the Albany Polecats where he appeared in 12 games and had a 3.48 ERA.

Bell pitched for the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League and the West Palm Beach Expos of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in 1996, finishing the year with a 2.88 ERA in 53 games. In 1997, he played the entire season with West Palm Beach. He returned to Class A-Advanced when Expos changed their affiliate to the Jupiter Hammerheads. Bell finished the season with the Baltimore Orioles organization with the Frederick Keys. He had 7 wins, with a 2.94 ERA and 7 saves.

Bell played the final two seasons of his career with the Bowie Baysox. Bell flipped between long relief and starting, recording a 7–8 record with a 4.90 ERA.

Coaching career

Following the conclusion of his playing career, Bell was named the head coach of Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida. He led the school to a regional semifinal finish in 2002 as well as a Class 4A-District 9 championship. He was named area coach of the year by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association.{{cite web |url=http://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20020730/News/608124582/LL/ |title=Mocs Hire Baseball, Softball Coaches |author=Rick Brown |date=July 30, 2002 |publisher=GateHouse Media LLC |work=www.theledger.com |accessdate=July 19, 2018}} After two seasons at Brandon, Bell was named the pitching coach for Florida Southern College. The Mocs earned two berths in the NCAA Regionals, going 2–2 in Bell's two seasons with the team.

On August 9, 2004, Bell was hired as the pitching coach for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team.{{cite web |url=https://utsports.com/news/2004/8/9/Bell_Named_UT_Pitching_Coach.aspx?path=baseball |title=Bell Named UT Pitching Coach |date=August 9, 2004 |publisher=University of Tennessee Athletics |work=www.utsports.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}} In his first season with the Volunteers, Bell helped Luke Hochevar bounce back from an injury to earn the Southeastern Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year and the Roger Clemens Award.{{cite web |url=http://preps.heraldtribune.com/2011/06/27/former-riverview-high-hurler-bell-to-be-pitching-coach-for-florida-state/ |title=Former Riverview High hurler Bell to be pitching coach for Florida State |author=Bob Ferrante |date=June 27, 2011 |publisher=Herald Tribune |work=www.preps.heraldtribune.com |accessdate=July 19, 2018}}

In 2007, Bell was named the pitching coach for the Oklahoma Sooners baseball program.

On June 24, 2011, Bell was hired as the pitching coach at Florida State.{{cite web |url=http://www.theledger.com/news/20110624/ex-fsc-assistant-baseball-coach-hired-by-seminoles |title=Ex-FSC Assistant Baseball Coach Hired by Seminoles |author=Bob Ferrante |date=June 24, 2011 |publisher=GateHouse Media LLC |work=www.theledger.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}

On July 10, 2018, Bell was named the 8th head coach in the history of the Pittsburgh Panthers baseball program.{{cite web |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/baseball/2018/07/10/florida-state-fsu-seminoles-baseball-mike-bell-pitching-coach-pittsburgh-mike-martin-jr/773455002/ |title=Florida State pitching coach Mike Bell named new Pittsburgh head coach |date=July 10, 2018 |publisher=Tallahassee Democrat |work=www.tallahassee.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2018/07/10/mike-bell-pitt-baseball-coach-pittsburgh-florida-state-heather-lyke-joe-jordano/stories/201807100155 |title=Mike Bell, ex-Florida State assistant, is Pitt's new baseball coach |author=Brian Batko |date=July 10, 2018 |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |work=www.post-gazette.com |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}