Maryland hires Arkansas State asst. Walt Bell as offensive coordinator

In many ways, it is that opposite-side coordinator who will decide the fate of his tenure, not the head coach.

Former Dickson County and Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Walt Bell was hired Sunday as the offensive coordinator at Maryland. His team this year averaged 448 yards of offense per game, which was No. 36 nationally, and scored 41 points per game, which was No. 10. Maryland has also added strength and conditioning coach Rick Court, who held the same position at Mississippi State last season.

Before his time at Arkansas State, Bell had stints as an offensive assistant at North Carolina, Southern Miss, Oklahoma State and Memphis.

In his first season as Arkansas State offensive coordinator in 2014, the Red Wolves gained 500 yards of total offense in a game five times.

That’s not the direction Maryland ended up going with its head-coaching hire, with Durkin being a former defensive coordinator.

Last season the Red Wolves offense broke the school record for total yards.

“Walt is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and I’m excited to have him on my staff”, Durkin said in a release. It was not immediately known if Locksley would accept the offer.

Bell finished his second season under Anderson at ASU on Saturday night, after both came from North Carolina. That included in 2012, when the program had fewer scholarships after being sanctioned for a number of NCAA violations prior to Bell’s arrival. Anderson was hired at ASU in December 2013 after two seasons leading the Tar Heels’ offense, and Bell was his recruiting coordinator.

“When you have a good staff, guys do a good job, you always expect to lose some”.