FSU Football: Maryland experts answer 3 questions about Walt Bell
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football made its offensive coordinator hire Tuesday night. We talk to Maryland experts about what Walt Bell brings to the table.
FSU football finally has full staff and fans are clamoring to learn more about new offensive coordinator Walt Bell who had the same position at Maryland.
We’re fortunate to have a network at FanSided where experts cover a variety of teams. We were able to speak with Wesley Brown from the Terrapin Station Maryland site to gain more insight to what Walt Bell will bring to FSU football.
Check out our quick Q&A below
CC: Most FSU fans are asking who is Walt Bell and what he brings to the table as an offensive coordinator. Talk to us a bit about what he brought to Maryland as an offensive mind, recruiter, and maybe your overall impression of him as a young coach?
TS: Bell is simply one of the best young minds in college football. Coming to Maryland from Arkansas State, not many people knew what he was capable of at the FBS level, but his scheme alone was the reason Maryland had any sort of success during the 2017 season. He runs a fast paced offense, like Taggart, but most importantly is he knows who he can plug-in and play at different positions. Bell is very straightforward, knows what he has to do, and is always working to get the job done. Just from hearing him speak you can tell how driven and intelligent he is.
CC: Most folk we’ve talked to have indicated he’s a good recruiter on the trails. Talk to us about if that’s your opinion as well and what areas Bell may have ties to in recruiting and which quality players he was responsible for bringing into Maryland while there?
TS: Being a young coach is honestly one of the biggest factors when it comes to his recruiting. At Maryland he wasn’t listed as a primary recruiter in many cases, but players on both sides of the ball loved him. He truly can get along with players more than some of the older coaches in college football.
Having the Florida State logo on his chest will help him bring higher quality guys into his schemes for sure. Also, being from Tennessee and having a southern flare to him, he can definitely win some battles for big players. In terms of areas, he has found a number of players in the Carolinas, Georgia, and now he has a foot in the DMV pool.
His biggest pull at Maryland was Kasim Hill, our quarterback of the future. Hill was a four-star player coming out of high school, and Bell helped win him away from Big Ten powers like Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State. He committed way back in April of 2016, and Bell helped that relationship get even stronger over the 10 months until signing day.
CC: Willie Taggart’s going to call the plays at FSU, but how do you see Bell being effective as an offensive coordinator in terms of gameplanning/scheme? Taggart likes to go at a good quick tempo, how does that philosophy mesh with what Bell typically did at Maryland?
TS: I feel like their styles will go hand-in-hand. Bell likes the no huddle, signal from the sideline, and pushing the ball down the defense’s throat approach. He wants his offense to score as fast as possible just so they can get the ball back and do it again. Maryland also saw turnover cut in half during his first season in College Park, because he really stresses ball security and quarterback decision-making. With the weapons that Florida State is going to bring in, I can see Bell and Taggart creating a very powerful spread offense.
Thoughts
We’d like to thank Wesley for taking the time to answer our questions about Walt Bell and what he will bring to FSU football.
As we thought, it sounds like Willie Taggart crushed it with this hire.
Next: Willie Taggart's Staff Already Superior To Old Regime
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