Bell brings stability, success to Demons
From chaos to stability.
That's the path that Northwestern's basketball program has followed under the direction of head coach Dan Bell. When he took over at his alma mater in August 1988, Bell inherited a mess.
The program was at ground zero. "Ground" for starting at the ground floor trying to rebuild a program wracked by NCAA rules violations by the previous coaching staff. "Zero" for the graduation rate and the morale, both on the team and in the community.
There was no instant fix. The healing process would take time. Bell, just 32 when he was named head coach, knew that. So did Northwestern's administration.
Now, as Bell is about to begin his sixth season in charge, that patience and commitment is paying dividends. Bell has pulled Demon basketball out of a tailspin and put it on track to its most successful run in three decades.
Demon basketball, once again, finally, is "solid."
That's the best description. Being "solid" -- in life, in class, in practice, and in competition - is a cornerstone of Bell's philosophy for the Northwestern program and the people who are part of it.
The Demons are community activists. Two years ago, the team formed a partnership with the Natchitoches Youth Basketball League, with players coaching hundreds of local boys and girls in clinics and league games.
They are committed student-athletes. Every player in the program is on course to graduate with his class, including four seniors who will earn degrees next spring. Northwestern is the only university in a five-state region to be represented on the GTE Academic All-District VI basketball team in each of the last three seasons - and senior Tony Beaubouef is a good bet to extend that streak to four straight years.
They are disciplined. Demon workouts, from preseason strength and conditioning sessions to in-season practices, are structured and efficient.
They are successful. For example:
- Bell's teams have rewritten school record books. More than half of the team records in nine decades of Demon Basketball have been set since he took over in 1988.
- On Dec. 7, 1988, in his seventh game as the Demons' coach, Northwestern knocked off Kentucky at Rupp Arena, 85-82, handing the Wildcats their first loss in a home opener in 17 seasons.
- In each of his first two seasons, the Demons reached the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals. In his first year, Northwestern was picked to finish eighth in the league.
- Northwestern led the nation in scoring in 1991-92, averaging 95.0 points per game, and was second in 1992-93, scoring 90.7 per game
- Among the top 15 single-game scoring totals in Demon history, 10 are by Bell's teams. His squads have produced six of the top seven single-game scores.
- On Jan. 30, 1993, Bell's team attracted the largest crowd (3,461) to watch a Demon game at home in eight years. Five of the top 10 crowds in school history have come since he took charge.
Bell, 38, was named Northwestern's seventh men's basketball coach on Aug. 11, 1988, after serving as assistant coach at East Carolina for one year (1987-88) and at Marshall University for four seasons (1983-87).
A sharp-shooting guard for the Demons from 1975-77, Bell did graduate work at Northwestern after his playing career ended. He averaged 13 points as a junior and 16 as a senior as the Demons posted two straight winning records, including a 17-9 mark in 1976-77. He shot 81.5 percent from free throw line, the fifth-best career mark in Demon history.
After finishing at Northwestern, Bell served as player/coach for the Athletes in Action team based in Vancouver, Canada. That team went 83-12 in games played throughout North America and Europe.
He began his fulltime coaching career as an assistant in 1981-82 at Nicholls State, helping the Colonels to their first winning season at the Division I level. He jumped to his junior college alma mater, Walker (Ala.) JC, to pinch-hit for ailing head coach Glen Clem in 1982-83. Bell guided the squad to a 29-4 record and the regional title. Walker was beaten by eventual national champion San Jacinto in the semifinals of the NJCAA Final Four.
Bell moved on to Marshall, where he was responsible for recruiting 14 players who helped the Thundering Heard go 90-36 over a four-year span, including three NCAA Tournament appearances.
While at Marshall, Bell met his wife, the former Diana Calhoun, an ex-AAU track sprint star. They are parents of two energetic boys, Zachary and Keegan. Diana is working on her doctorate in English at Illinois State University.
Bell, a native of Huntsville, Alabama, is an avid weightlifter and golfer. He is an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves and Alabama Crimson Tide football.
The family is active in the First United Methodist Church in Natchitoches. This summer, Bell served as a lay pastor and preached a sermon. He also conducts a bible class for young adults at the church.
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