THE BELL FILE

Hometown: Miami, Fla.
College: South Carolina, 1995 / Nova Southeastern, 2000
X/Twitter: @CoachCBell26
Birthday: Jan. 18, 1972
Wife: Tamika
Children: Daughters, Daijah & Dahnia

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2024-present:
Mississippi State, Cornerbacks
2023:
Florida Atlantic, Defensive Passing Game Coordinator
2022: Florida International, Cornerbacks/Recruiting Coordinator
2021:
Florida, Assistant Director of Player Personnel
2018-20:
UCF, Cornerbacks
2017:
Florida, Secondaries
2017:
South Florida, Secondaries/Recruiting Coordinator
2014-16:
Florida Atlantic, Secondaries/Assistant Director of Player Personnel
2011-13:
American Senior High School, Head Coach
2007-10:
Miami, Director of Football Operations
1997-07:
Miami Edison Senior High School, Head Coach
1996:
Miami Edison Senior High School, Defensive Backs

BOWL GAMES COACHED

2021: Gasparilla Bowl (Florida)
2020: Boca Raton Bowl (UCF)
2019: Gasparilla Bowl (UCF)
2019: Sugar Bowl (UCF)
2017: Birmingham Bowl (USF)
2015: Oyster Bowl (FAU)

Corey Bell was named Mississippi State's cornerbacks coach on December 8, 2023.

A Miami native that has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at both the high school and college ranks, Bell brings an impressive resume to Mississippi State. He is regarded as one of the best secondary coaches in the country, and he has a proven track record of sending players to the NFL.

Bell has spent his coaching career in the state of Florida, highlighted by stops at the University of Florida, University of Miami and Central Florida. Most recently Bell served as the defensive passing game coordinator at Florida Atlantic.

As the leader of the Central Florida cornerbacks for three seasons, UCF made major improvements to its pass defense under Bell’s watch. The Knights improved dramatically in that time, improving their passing yards rank by 83 spots from 2019-20. Central Florida ranked 26th in 2019 (at 199.5 yards per game, best at UCF since 2014) after allowing 331.8 yards per contest in the season before Bell arrived (the Knights ranked 115th in 2017). In addition, the UCF corners played a role in helping the Knights lead the nation in tackles for loss in 2019 (9.0 per game), while also ranking third nationally in pass efficiency defense.

Bell played an integral role in the Knights’ 2018 squad that finished the regular season undefeated while also winning their second consecutive American Athletic Conference Championship and earning a bid to play in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

The UCF defense had a stellar 2018 campaign, allowing just 22.7 points per game and ranking sixth in the nation with 28 forced turnovers. The Knights racked up 8.2 tackles for loss per game, fifth most in the nation, while also earning 29 sacks. Second-half adjustments proved key to the Knights’ success, as opponents scored just 8.5 points over the final two periods, including 3.3 points per third quarter.

Under Bell’s leadership, both UCF starting cornerbacks earned all-conference honors in 2018, as Nevelle Clarke garnered first team honors and Brandon Moore received honorable mention accolades. Clarke had 46 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, and two interceptions and 13 pass breakups. Moore, meanwhile, added 43 tackles, one interception and 10 pass breakups.

In 2019 Clarke contributed 22 tackles and a pair of interceptions while leading the team for a second straight year in pass breakups (with 11). After Moore suffered a season-ending injury in the Knights’ opening game, Tay Gowan stepped in to make 31 tackles, a pair of interceptions, and eight pass breakups. Aaron Robinson held down the nickel corner position all season, recording 54 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions. Clarke received honorable mention all-AAC recognition, while Robinson was named second team all-AAC and was an honorable mention All-America selection by Pro Football Focus.

Prior to his time with the Knights, Bell spent time with the Gators where he guided two players to All-SEC honors while coaching a trio of former pros in Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Duke Dawson and former first round pick in CJ Henderson.

From 2014-16, Bell served as secondaries coach and assistant director of player personnel at Florida Atlantic. Bell coached three Owls to four All-Conference USA honors, highlighted by D’Joun Smith who became just the sixth Florida Atlantic player drafted to the NFL when he was selected in the third round by Indianapolis.

Bell has head coaching experience in the high school ranks. He led American High School in Miami from 2011-13, winning three straight district titles. He was also the head coach at Miami Edison High School from 1997-2007—as the youngest head coach in Florida when he assumed that role. Bell was the defensive backs coach at Edison in 1996. During his tenure at Edison, Bell coached 84 student-athletes to NCAA Division I scholarships and tutored six All-America performers.

Bell served as the director of football operations at the University of Miami from 2007-10 under Randy Shannon. He is a 1995 graduate of South Carolina and holds a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University (2000).