Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell has received a 5-year contract extension that could see him stay in Cullowhee through the 2030 season. Bell is 24-21 overall and 20-14 in the Southern Conference in his four years with the Catamounts.
WCU went 4-7 in Bell’s first season during the 2021 campaign. The Catamounts started 0-6 but ended the season 4-1 with three of those victories coming on the road. In 2022, WCU was 3-5 but ripped off three straight victories to end the season 6-5 including a win over #15 Chattanooga in the season finale. The team improved again in 2023 starting 5-1 but a 2-3 finish saw them miss out on the FCS Playoffs; however, the team finished ranked 23rd.
This season, WCU started 1-3 followed by three straight victories to start conference play. After a 10-point loss on the road against 14th-ranked Mercer, the Catamounts responded with a home victory against 18th-ranked Chattanooga. Despite a loss on the road to East Tennessee State, WCU won the final two games to finish 2nd in the Southern Conference at 7-5 overall.
Before joining WCU, Bell was the head coach of the now-defunct Jacksonville program. He went 66-35 overall and 52-19 in the Pioneer Football League and won three titles (one was later vacated). He took the Valdosta State head coaching job in 2016 and won the NCAA Division II title in 2018 going a perfect 14-0. He spent the 2019 season as the offensive coordinator of South Florida. For his career, Bell is 117-63 overall and 91-38 in conference games.
Photo Credit to Western Carolina University Athletics
