Tag: Walt Bell

Former Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson commits to Indiana

Former Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson commits to Indiana.

Former Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson announced his commitment to Indiana.

Jackson played for the Vols in 2022, appearing in three games. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback completed 3-of-4 passing attempts for 37 yards, while totaling 10 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown at Tennessee.

Jackson will play for head coach Tom Allen and offensive coordinator Walt Bell at Indiana.

Bell, from Dickson, Tennessee, played at Middle Tennessee State from 2003-06.

Bell served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State from 2014-15. At Arkansas State, Bell was co-offensive coordinator with current Tennessee offensive line coach Glen Elarbee. Elarbee also served as a graduate assistant (2003-04) and tight ends coach (2005) at Middle Tennessee State when Bell played wide receiver.

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College football head coaching tracker

Rank these jobs from best to worst and give us a reason why…

It’s already been a busy off-season of coaching changes in college football and we’re still two weeks from the regular season actually drawing to a close.  With Justin Fuente’s announced firing from Virginia Tech there have now already been 12 head college football coaches fired since the season began.

Some are staying on to finish the year while others technically resigned, but the the fact remains there will be at least 12 different head coaches in college football’s FBS when the 2022 season begins late next summer.

Here at Fighting Irish Wire we’re certainly not expecting Brian Kelly to be exiting anytime soon, even if Kirk Herbstreit has him on a plane to Southern California, but we certainly would be curious about a Kelly assistant getting a chance at a head coaching job.

Below is our tracker of all FBS coaching changes that will be updated through the fall and into the early parts of 2022.

Walt Bell discusses coaching career

Walt Bell discusses coaching career.

Walt Bell enters his third season as UMass’ head coach in 2021.

Bell is from Dickson, Tennessee and played at Middle Tennessee State from 2003-06.

The Tennessee native launched his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2007 at Louisiana–Lafayette during the spring. He joined Memphis’ staff in the fall of 2007 as a graduate assistant, a position he held through 2008 before becoming a quality control coach at Oklahoma State (2009).

Bell would earn his first position coaching opportunity at Southern Miss in 2011, overseeing wide receivers. The opportunity came after serving as a graduate assistant with the Golden Eagles in 2010.

He was tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at North Carolina (2012-13) before becoming an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State from 2014-15.

Sep 8, 2012; Winston Salem, NC. North Carolina Tar Heels tight ends coach Walt Bell yells out instructions during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Bell would then become an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the Power Five level with Maryland (2016-17) and Florida State (2018).

He joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” to discuss entering year three at UMass. Bell discussed how he will call plays for the first time as UMass’ head coach in 2021, playing at Middle Tennessee State and his coaching career.

The third-year UMass head coach also discussed being a co-offensive coordinator with Glen Elarbee at Arkansas State. Elarbee is serving as offensive line coach on Josh Heupel’s Tennessee staff.

The show with Bell can be listened to here or below.

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