Iowa
Resiliency not just a concept for Iowa defensive line coach Kelvin Bell
IOWA CITY — Major-college football coaches commonly take back roads and detours to their destinations, but Kelvin Bell drove through apparent dead ends.
“It was a miracle, really,” Bell said, “that I ended up at the University of Iowa.”
Twice, actually. Getting to Iowa as a player was improbable enough. Becoming the team’s defensive line coach and mentoring future NFL players like A.J. Epenesa, Daviyon Nixon and Chauncey Golston was far less likely.
Bell grew up in Olive Branch, Miss., 25 miles from Memphis, Tenn. Andy Thorn, an Iowa recruit from Michigan, took an unofficial visit to Mississippi because his uncle lived in Olive Branch. On the night before they checked out Ole Miss, they attended an Olive Branch High football game.
Thorn signed with Iowa. He urged his new coaches to take a look at a 6-foot-2, 310-pound defensive lineman he saw in Olive Branch. It was Bell, who had attracted no interest from SEC schools.
Bell’s first personal contact with the Iowa staff came when assistant coach Phil Parker visited him at his school.
“He got me out of music appreciation class,” Bell said, “sized me up, told me I wasn’t tall enough but I was big enough.”
Iowa brought Bell up for a January official visit. He liked it.
“On Sunday before I left, Coach (Kirk) Ferentz brought me into his office. ‘We don’t have anything to offer you. If something falls through, we’ll give you a call.’
“I get to the airport. I had the Iowa jacket on that they gave me, because it was cold out. I’m thinking I’ll just wear it home. I get to the gate — this was before 9/11 — and there’s coaches there, Pat Flaherty and Eric Johnson, to take the coat from me.”
NCAA rules, you know.
“The funny thing about that is, I’ve had to do that as a coach,” Bell said.
Two days after going home with no jacket or scholarship offer, Bell and Bob Sanders were made the final additions to Iowa’s 2000 recruiting class. Sanders became a star. Bell had no college playing career. He got hurt, needed knee surgery, and that was that.
“Coach Ferentz allowed me to be a student-assistant here in ‘02, working in recruiting,” Bell said. “I’m organizing Coach (Ron) Aiken’s recruiting book. I did that for about two weeks and I quit. Never came back. Just felt uncomfortable being in the building. Felt really odd being around my teammates knowing what they were doing and that I couldn’t do it.”
Bell stayed at Iowa to complete his degree in mathematics, with an emphasis on computer science. He got a job at University of Iowa Hospitals. And took an unusual circle back to Hawkeye football.
Regina High School: Bell’s mother sent her younger son north to get better education and live with his big brother. Kelvin worked with Scott Bell in Regina’s weight room.
Soon, other students joined them. Before long, Regina put Kelvin in charge of the weight room and he implemented a strength program for Regina’s athletes.
Then-Regals head football coach Chuck Evans paid to have Bell take a course at Kirkwood Community College to earn an Iowa coaching authorization. Bell coached Regina’s junior high football team and helped with the varsity.
“It taught me to start at start,” Bell said. “Don’t assume anything. These kids don’t know what they don’t know. Meet them where they’re at. That stuck with me.”
Regina won the 2005 state Class 1A title. “It was a great time,” said Bell.
Cornell College: “I answered an ad in the paper. They were looking for an offensive line coach. I played defensive line but my passion is offensive line.
“We were not very good. We went 2-9, 2-9. We were low on numbers.
“I doubled as equipment manager. I would wash clothes for all the teams, not just football.”
Wayne State College: Bell’s Cornell colleague, Tim Triplett, had gone to Division II Wayne State, and urged Bell to do the same.
“They called me five days before the start of spring ball and said you’ve got the job,” Bell said. “I’m driving to Wayne, Nebraska, and crying the entire way because I don’t know if this is the right move.
“I’m moving to a place where I know one guy. I didn’t have cellphone coverage there. The money I saved working at the hospital, the health insurance, the benefits, all those things I gave up to work for $500 a week and free grad school, $423 a week after taxes.
“And it was great.
“The head coach was an offensive line guy and he gave that to me. I embraced the pressure. In two years, we were 19-5. But I was only a two-year guy.”
Just three Wayne State assistants were full-time. The rest were grad assistants changed every two years. At the end of his second season, Bell was 26 and again out of football.
“I moved back to Iowa City, tail between my legs.”
He did reestablish contact with Iowa’s coaches. He attended some Hawkeyes practices, watched film with assistant coach Reese Morgan.
“Kelvin had a genuine thirst for knowledge,” Morgan said. “I think he’s got a gift in coaching. He has an ability to relate to people.”
Bell took stopgap jobs while searching for another football opportunity. He delivered pharmaceuticals to nursing homes. He reviewed life insurance policies for Transamerica in Cedar Rapids, “making sure ‘i’s were dotted and ‘t’s were crossed. It sucked. It was mind-numbing.”
He become a fleet manager at Heartland Express in North Liberty though “I knew nothing about trucking. I started out with 20-some trucks, ended up with 50-some.
“It was a lot like coaching. You had to understand how to talk to people. Truck drivers have to know that you trust them and they can trust you. It really helped my communication skills.
“Heartland was about accountability. If that load was late, I’m late with you. That’s coaching. If my guy’s not where he’s supposed to be, I’m in there with you, man. I spent all week coaching you, I’m in there on that mistake. But I’m also with you when we celebrate the good things, too.”
Bell learned of an offensive line coaching opening at Trinity International University in suburban Chicago. He went to the 2011 American Football Coaches Convention in Dallas to seek people with contacts to the school.
He attended a clinic of then-Iowa assistant coach Lester Erb and found himself seated next to Trinity International assistant Ashton Aikens. He gave Aikens his resume. Nine days before the start of that year’s spring practice, Bell had a two-day interview for the job. He was a coach again.
Trinity International: He also was again an equipment manager.
“I bought the footballs,” said Bell. “I bought the warm-ups. When Northwestern went from Adidas to Under Armour, I drove a U-Haul to Northwestern and got 150 pairs of Adidas cleats for $50 apiece.
“I was the sports information director, too. I had to write articles about our games and upload them to our website. I’d have to keep score at the baseball games. These are all things you do to coach.”
But coach, he did.
“I was back, and I was going to make the best of it at Trinity International University,” Bell said. “I’m going to build my brand here as an offensive line coach.”
He was given a $3,000 raise and more football responsibilities after a season there. But then Ferentz called him to ask if he were interested in becoming a Hawkeyes graduate assistant. That was a yes.
In 2014, Bell was asked to become the program’s director of on-campus recruiting. It wasn’t a role he wanted because it meant no coaching.
“I was going to be coordinating with caterers and logistics,” Bell said. But this time he stayed.
Two years later, Ferentz told his staff defensive assistant coach Jim Reid was leaving Iowa for Boston College.
“I marched right into Coach’s office and said I want that job,” Bell said.
He and Ferentz were together on a visit to a recruit’s home in Brownsburg, Ind. Just as Bell knocked on the front door, Ferentz told him he was going to be Iowa’s next assistant coach.
“He’s paid his dues,” Morgan said.
“I had my ups and downs,” Bell said. “But I wouldn’t trade it.”
Monday: Bell talks about 2020 and the aftermath of Black former Hawkeye football players making charges of mistreatment and racial bias by some Iowa coaches. “As a Black man,” Bell said, “they looked at me like ‘How did you let that happen?’”
Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
Des Moines Register’s Top 10 Iowa high school football players in 2024
Here’s a look at The Register’s Top 10 Iowa high school football players in 2024.
(This story was updated to add new information)
It’s Week 7 of the Iowa high school football season. Check out our list of IHSAA scores from Friday night’s action.
Stream Iowa HS football on the NFHS Network
Scores are listed in alphabetical order by winning team
IHSAA scores from Week 7 of Iowa high school football season
Friday’s games:
- Ankeny Centennial 45, Des Moines Roosevelt 3
- Bedford 77, Lamoni 0
- Benton 38, Grinnell 7
- Bettendorf 48, Davenport Central 0
- Cedar Falls 38, Dubuque Senior 0
- Cedar Rapids Kennedy 45, Dubuque Hempstead 14
- Cedar Rapids Prairie 56, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 7
- Cedar Rapids Xavier 35, Oskaloosa 0
- Central City 64, Lone Tree 8
- Central Lyon/George-Little Rock 23, Western Christian 7
- Clarinda 47, Chariton 7
- Columbus 48, Van Buren County 7
- Creston 70, Knoxville 0
- Crestwood 28, New Hampton 27
- Davenport Assumption 34, Washington 6
- Decorah 57, Marion 14
- Dike-New Hartford 42, Aplington-Parkersburg 0
- Don Bosco 62, Turkey Valley 0
- Dowling Catholic 49, Urbandale 28
- Dyersville Beckman 28, Iowa City Regina 15
- East Mills 50, Exira-EHK 44
- East Union 64, Murray 36
- Easton Valley 61, Midland 21
- Edgewood-Colesburg 84, Calamus-Wheatland 31
- Emmetsburg 64, Eagle Grove 0
- Fremont-Mills 40, CAM 28
- Fort Dodge 55, Storm Lake 26
- Fort Dodge St. Edmond 43, Colo-Nesco 6
- Glenwood 20, Dallas Center-Grimes 17
- Glidden-Ralston 48, Coon Rapids-Bayard 6
- GMG 52, Meskwaki Settlement 0
- Greene County 10, Southeast Valley 7
- Harlan 24, Nevada 21
- Highland 41, Louisa-Muscatine 6
- Hinton 19, OABCIG 13
- Humboldt 21, Algona 20
- IKM-Manning 13, Southwest Valley 6
- Iowa City Liberty 28, Ankeny 20
- Jesup 35, Iowa Falls-Alden 6
- Johnston 56, Council Bluffs Lincoln 7
- Lenox 55, Southeast Warren 8
- Lewis Central 28, Winterset 24
- Linn-Mar 55, Davenport West 6
- Logan-Magnolia 14, Council Bluffs St. Albert 10
- Maquoketa Valley 35, North Linn 16
- Marshalltown 26, Ames 21
- Mediapolis 49, Davis County 20
- MMCRU 41, Westwood 18
- MOC-Floyd Valley 35, Sioux Center 14
- Mount Vernon 56, Fort Madison 7
- North Butler 22, Nashua-Plainfield 0
- North Fayette Valley won by forfeit over Oelwein
- North Iowa 46, Harris-Lake Park 40
- North Polk 22, Indianola 21
- Okoboji 49, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 21
- Osage 42, Waukon 6
- Pekin 57, Wapello 0
- Pleasant Valley 42, Muscatine 7
- Remsen St. Mary’s 46, Woodbine 30
- Riceville 57, Waterloo Christian 0
- Ridge View 22, West Sioux 7
- Riverside 41, Earlham 6
- Roland-Story 28, Des Moines Christian 21
- Saint Ansgar 53, West Fork 0
- Sergeant Bluff-Luton 21, Carroll 0
- Sibley-Ocheyedan 48, HMS 14
- Sidney 62, Stanton-Essex 20
- Sigourney-Keota 62, Colfax-Mingo 26
- South Central Calhoun 41, Panorama 12
- South Hardin 34, Hudson 21
- Southeast Polk 31, Waukee 28
- Spencer 41, Sioux City West 0
- Spirit Lake 49, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura 6
- Sumner-Fredericksburg 54, Central Springs 12
- Treynor 36, Shenandoah 6
- Tri-Center 34, Woodbury Central 8
- Underwood 41, Missouri Valley 6
- Van Meter 54, Centerville 0
- Wapsie Valley 46, BCLUW 0
- Wayne 30, Central Decatur 6
- Webster City 42, Charles City 21
- West Hancock 60, Lake Mills 6
- West Lyon 50, Sheldon 0
- Wilton 39, West Branch 20
- Winfield-Mt. Union 68, Mormon Trail 8
Thursday’s games:
- Le Mars 44, Fort Dodge 37
- Pella 42, D.M. Hoover 10
- S.C North 37, D.M. East 0
The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming off of a 35-7 thumping at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and while a loss to Ohio State was expected, it was how Iowa lost that has Hawkeyes fans livid.
Iowa’s offense was absolutely lifeless, Cade McNamara looked lost and head coach Kirk Ferentz did not seem to have any answers.
Not only that, but Ferentz doubled down on McNamara remaining the starter after the game, saying that the quarterback actually showed improvement.
That’s why Ferentz’s reputation may actually be on the line when the Hawkeyes face the Washington Huskies this Saturday.
Iowa is just 3-2 on the season, as it also lost to the Iowa State Cyclones back in Week 2. A loss to Washington would drop the Hawkeyes to .500, and it would add more fuel to the “fire Ferentz” discussion that has been smoldering.
The Huskies are a new addition to the Big Ten and just beat the Michigan Wolverines, and while Michigan has not been as good as expected, Washington is no joke.
However, make no mistake: Iowa needs to beat these guys.
Here is the thing: barring a catastrophic remainder of the 2024 campaign at Iowa City, the Hawkeyes aren’t canning Ferentz. The man is under contract through 2029 on a hefty salary. It isn’t happening.
But Ferentz’s reputation is a different story.
The 69-year-old has been at the helm for Iowa since 1999 and is highly respected by the fans, but patience is running thin.
Last year, the Hawkeyes played three ranked opponents and lost by a total score of 92-0. They also just got destroyed by Ohio State. The Iowa fan base is tired with being second-best, and at this point, that is all Ferentz has offered them.
Sure, Iowa does not have the cachet or prestige of schools like Ohio State, Michigan or Alabama. It typically won’t land the very best recruits as a result. But the Hawkeyes’ inability to even put together respectable offenses over the years does reflect poorly on Ferentz, who is the longest-tenured coach in the country.
And Iowa fans are sick of it.
The Hawkeyes absolutely need to beat the Huskies this Saturday. Iowa should be better than Washington, and at some point, the Hawkeyes are going to have to display that they can consistently beat good teams.
Is all of the Ferentz criticism deserved? No, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of it is completely unfounded.
Ferentz can provide some nice pushback to all of the naysayers with a Week 7 win over Washington. Or, he can give fans more reason to complain with a loss.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Here’s who all 71 Iowa high school football teams ranked in this week’s Gazette poll face in Week 7 games Friday night.
Class 3A gets the spotlight this week as its top two teams face top-seven opponents. No. 1 Algona visits No. 7 Humboldt, while second-ranked Williamsburg hosts a Solon team eager to bounce back from last week’s loss to Benton Community that dropped it from the top spot.
There is intrigue in the 8-Player top five as well, where three of the top five teams face fellow unbeaten foes. That includes No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s taking on No. 10 Woodbine and No. 2 Algona Garrigan hosting Ruthven GTRA.
Class 5A
No. 1 West Des Moines Valley (5-1) vs. Waterloo West (5-1)
No. 2 West Des Moines Dowling (5-1) at Urbandale (3-3)
No. 3 Bettendorf (6-0) at Davenport Central (2-4)
No. 4 Pleasant Valley (5-1) vs. Muscatine (2-4)
No. 5 Ankeny Centennial (4-2) vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (1-5)
No. 6 Linn-Mar (5-1) vs. Davenport West (0-6)
No. 7 Johnston (4-2) vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln (4-2)
No. 8 Iowa City Liberty (5-1) vs. Ankeny (3-3)
No. 9 Waukee (4-2) at Southeast Polk (3-3)
No. 10 Sioux City East (4-2) vs. Des Moines Lincoln (1-5)
Class 4A
No. 1 Lewis Central (6-0) at Winterset (4-2)
No. 2 Pella (6-0) at Des Moines Hoover (0-6), Thursday
No. 3 North Polk (6-0) at No. 10 Indianola (4-2)
No. 4 Gilbert (6-0) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (1-5)
No. 5 Decorah (6-0) at Marion (2-4)
No. 6 Adel ADM (5-1) at Ballard (3-3)
No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-2) at Oskaloosa (1-5)
No. 8 North Scott (4-2) at Clear Creek Amana (4-2)
No. 9 Newton (4-2) vs. Carlisle (0-6)
No. 10 Indianola (4-2) vs. No. 3 North Polk (6-0)
No. 10 Western Dubuque (4-2) at Waterloo East (2-4)
Class 3A
No. 1 Algona (6-0) at No. 7 Humboldt (5-1)
No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1) vs. No. 5 Solon (5-1)
No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (6-0) at West Delaware (4-2)
No. 4 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (6-0) vs. Carroll (4-2)
No. 5 Mount Vernon (5-1) vs. Fort Madison (0-6)
No. 5 Solon (5-1) at No. 2 Williamsburg (5-1)
No. 7 Humboldt (5-1) vs. No. 1 Algona (6-0)
No. 8 Sioux City Heelan (4-2) at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (1-5)
No. 9 Independence (4-2) at Maquoketa (1-5)
No. 10 Nevada (5-1) at Harlan (3-3)
Class 2A
No. 1 West Lyon (6-0) at Sheldon (2-4)
No. 2 Monroe PCM (6-0) at West Marshall (5-1)
No. 3 Spirit Lake (5-1) at Garner GHV (1-5)
No. 4 Van Meter (5-1) vs. Centerville (4-2)
No. 5 Carroll Kuemper (5-1) vs. Saydel (1-5)
No. 6 North Fayette Valley (5-1) vs. Oelwein (0-6) — canceled, Oelwein to forfeit
No. 7 Northeast (6-0) at Tipton (2-4)
No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2) vs. No. 10 Western Christian (4-2)
No. 9 Roland-Story (4-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (4-2)
No. 10 Western Christian (4-2) at No. 8 Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (4-2)
Class 1A
No. 1 Grundy Center (6-0) at Alburnett (4-2)
No. 2 Wilton (6-0) at West Branch (2-4)
No. 3 Dike-New Hartford (5-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (2-4)
No. 4 Emmetsburg (6-0) vs. Eagle Grove (0-6)
No. 5 Iowa City Regina (6-0) at Dyersville Beckman (4-2)
No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1) vs. No. 10 Hinton (5-1)
No. 7 South Hardin (5-1) at Hudson (5-1)
No. 8 Treynor (5-1) vs. Shenandoah (3-3)
No. 9 Sigourney-Keota (5-1) at Colfax-Mingo (1-5)
No. 10 Hinton (5-1) at No. 6 Ida Grove OABCIG (5-1)
Class A
No. 1 West Hancock (6-0) at Lake Mills (4-2)
No. 2 Guthrie Center ACGC (6-0) vs. Mount Ayr (5-1)
No. 3 Saint Ansgar (5-1) at West Fork (1-5)
No. 4 Lisbon (6-0) vs. Danville (4-2)
No. 5 Earlham (5-1) at Oakland Riverside (4-2)
No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1) vs. No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1)
No. 7 Le Mars Gehlen (5-1) at South O’Brien (0-6)
No. 8 Woodbury Central (5-1) at No. 6 Tri-Center (5-1)
No. 9 North Linn (6-0) vs. Maquoketa Valley (5-1)
No. 10 Madrid (4-2) at North Mahaska (3-3)
8-Player
No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0) vs. No. 10 Woodbine (6-0)
No. 2 Algona Garrigan (6-0) vs. Ruthven GTRA (6-0)
No. 3 Don Bosco (6-0) vs. Turkey Valley (3-3)
No. 4 Audubon (6-0) vs. Collins-Maxwell (4-2)
No. 5 Lenox (6-0) vs. Southeast Warren (6-0)
No. 6 Iowa Valley (6-0) vs. HLV (1-6)
No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (5-1) at Clarksville (5-2)
No. 8 Anita CAM (5-1) at Fremont-Mills (5-1)
No. 9 Bedford (5-1) vs. Lamoni (4-2)
No. 10 Woodbine (6-0) at No. 1 Remsen St. Mary’s (6-0)
Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com
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