Richard Bell (coach)

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1937)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Richard Bell

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1937|9|2|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1956–1959

| player_team1 = Arkansas

| coach_years1 = 1960–1961

| coach_team1 = Walnut Ridge HS (AR)

| coach_years2 = 1962–1963

| coach_team2 = VMI (AC)

| coach_years3 = 1964–1967

| coach_team3 = Georgia Tech (LB)

| coach_years4 = 1968–1969

| coach_team4 = West Virginia (DC)

| coach_years5 = 1970–1974

| coach_team5 = Texas Tech (DC)

| coach_years6 = 1975–1981

| coach_team6 = South Carolina (DC)

| coach_years7 = 1982

| coach_team7 = South Carolina

| coach_years8 = 1983–1987

| coach_team8 = Duke (DC)

| coach_years9 = 1988

| coach_team9 = East Carolina (DC)

| coach_years10 = 1989–1993

| coach_team10 = Georgia (DC/S)

| coach_years11 = 1994

| coach_team11 = Navy (DC/LB)

| coach_years12 = 1995–2006

| coach_team12 = Air Force (DC)

| coach_years13 = 2010–2017

| coach_team13 = Prince Avenue Christian (DC)

| overall_record = 4–7

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Richard Bell (born September 2, 1937) is an American former high school and college football coach. His last job was as the defensive coordinator at Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia. He served as head football coach at the University of South Carolina for a single season, in 1982.

After he graduated from the University of Arkansas, in 1962 Bell began his coaching career at VMI. From there he coached at Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Texas Tech and South Carolina as a defensive coach.{{cite web |url=http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bell_richard00.html |title=Player bio: Richard Bell |work=GoAirForceFalcons.com |publisher=CBS Interactive |accessdate=August 7, 2012 |archive-date=October 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024224126/http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bell_richard00.html |url-status=dead }} On January 9, 1982, Bell was formally introduced as the 27th head coach in the history of the South Carolina program.{{cite news |first=Luther |last=Gaillard |title=It's official: Richard Bell new USC football coach |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HYQgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5c4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4134%2C1590960 |page=A1 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal |location=Spartanburg, South Carolina |date=January 10, 1982 |accessdate=August 7, 2012}} Bell had previously served for seven seasons as the Gamecocks defensive coordinator under previous head coach Jim Carlen. After a single season, Bell was fired by athletic director Bob Marcum on December 1, 1982.{{cite news |title=South Carolina head coach Richard Bell loses his job |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wkIsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5s4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4314%2C421824 |page=A1 |newspaper=Spartanburg Herald-Journal |location=Spartanburg, South Carolina |date=December 2, 1982 |accessdate=August 7, 2012}}

From South Carolina, Bell served as a defensive coach at several other schools. These schools included Duke, East Carolina, Georgia, Navy and Air Force. Bell retired as a collegiate coach after the 2006 season, after 42 years as a coach.{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Schwab |title=At age 74, former AFA coordinator Richard Bell finds happiness coaching preps |url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/bell-137293-richard-school.html |newspaper=The Gazette |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado |publisher=Gazette.com |date=April 22, 2012 |accessdate=August 7, 2012}} After four years in retirement, Bell reentered the coaching world to serve as the defensive coordinator at Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia in 2010. He retired after the 2017 season.{{Cite news |last=Gillespie |first=Bob |date=November 16, 2021 |title=Richard Bell, one-and-done as USC coach: How 1982 season shaped him, players, program |work=The State |url=https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-football/article244216117.html |access-date=November 16, 2021}}