Mike Bell | |
Current Title: | Head coach |
Current Team: | Pittsburgh |
Current Conference: | ACC |
Current Record: | 133–147 |
Birth Date: | 14 October 1972 |
Birth Place: | Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
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 |
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.
Bell attended Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida. As a member of the baseball team, Bell was a two-time All-Area selection.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] Bell helped the Seminoles to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1994 and 1995.[4]
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.
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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
On July 10, 2018, Bell was named the 8th head coach in the history of the Pittsburgh Panthers baseball program.[9] [10]