Bell takes assistant post at Duquesne
The last place Rick Bell expected to be on this day was in Washington, D.C., on a recruiting trip.
But that’s what he signed up for by agreeing to become an women’s assistant basketball coach on Dan Burt’s staff at Duquesne University.
The 57-year-old Bell spent 31 years as a boys basketball coach, the first 13 at Peters Township and the last 18 at Canon-McMillan.
“My daughter went to Duquesne and at graduation, I saw Dan Burt so I went down to say hello,” said Bell in a Tuesday telephone interview.
“He jumped up and said, ‘You go watch your son play for two years. You are not done coaching.’ I didn’t know if he was serious or not. He and I have a couple mutual friends so I called both of those guys. They said, ‘Rick, you are on his radar screen.'”
And why not?
Bell coached Canon-McMillan to the school’s first appearance in the WPIAL semifinals in 2019 and established a school record with 21 wins during the 2017-18 campaign. He led Canon-McMillan to the WPIAL playoffs six times and finished with a career-record of 428-316.
Bell spent the past two years at Geneva College, aiding its men’s basketball team of which his son, R.J., was a member.
Prior to Canon-McMillan, Bell took Peters Township to the postseason 11 straight times in his 13 years as head boys coach.
“That first year out of coaching, I went to Duquesne a lot. I went to practices and went to games,” Bell said. “Hey, if you’re serious, then I’m serious.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Bell stayed in touch with text messages.
“I texted Dan frequently, just priming the pump,” Bell said. “I never really thought anything would come from it.”
But on an exercise walk in March, Bell received a text from Burt about an opening on the staff.
“When an opportunity like this comes up, well, it’s too good to pass up,” Bell said. “I’ll stay as long as Dan and Duquesne will have me. I told Dan … I’m not using this as a stepping stone. I don’t aspire to be a head coach again.”
Bell wasn’t the only member of the family to get a job at Duquesne. R.J. Bell will be a grad assistant coach next season.
Duquesne was 5-11 last season, 4-7 in the Atlantic 10.
In 1996, Bell was an assistant coach for the East Team in the McDonald’s All-American Boys Game played at the former Pittsburgh Civic Arena. His East Team roster included the late Kobe Bryant and future NBA stars Rip Hamilton, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal and Tim Thomas.