Brian Bell is trading one championship-winning program for another.
Three days after leading China Spring to its first state football championship since 1978, Bell resigned his head football post to move across town to join the Big 12 champion Baylor Bears as an analyst. China Spring athletic director Josh Gregory confirmed the move on Monday, which was first reported by Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
At Baylor, Brian Bell will join a program that includes his older brother Shawn as quarterbacks coach.
“It’s unexpected, but it’s expected, if that makes sense,” Gregory said. “Brian and me have had a pretty good relationship, going back to when he was 1 year old. I knew he had goals that he wanted to accomplish, so it caught me surprise, but it didn’t really.”
Bell compiled a 37-16 record in four seasons as head coach at China Spring, his alma mater. That culminated with this year’s 16-0 season that included a 31-7 victory over Gilmer in Friday’s Class 4A Division II state final.
Brian Bell succeeded his father Mark as China Spring’s head coach, after Mark stepped down in April 2018. Mark continued to work as China Spring’s athletic director until retiring after the 2020-21 school year.
Brian led China Spring to the playoffs in each of his four seasons as head coach. He went 6-6 and 4-8 in his first two seasons before improving to an 11-2 record in 2020 that included threestraightwins over Top 10 foes to open the playoffs. He was the Tribune-Herald’s Super Centex Coach of the Year following that campaign.
Obviously, Bell’s departure opens up an attractive coaching position at China Spring. Gregory said that he talked with the Cougars’ football coaches and told them to enjoy the holidays and not worry about their jobs.
“I don’t want them to freak out,” said Gregory, who was out trying to buy Christmas presents for his family when he got his first media request regarding the move. “I want them to enjoy the holidays with their families, enjoy the state championship. I know what this is like, I’ve been in their shoes, I was the OC (offensive coordinator) at Cedar Ridge when Shawn (Bell) was offered the Baylor job. So, I know how they feel, and it can be a little scary.”
Gregory said that he would talk to China Spring ISD Superintendent Marc Faulkner after the holiday break about a timetable for hiring a new coach. As with all public schools in Texas, China Spring will be required to post the position for at least 10 days before filling it.
In other China Spring news, the school district is planning a Jan. 17 “mini-parade” to honor the football state champions, Gregory said.
PHOTOS — China Spring captures long-awaited state title vs. Gilmer