Corey Bell Rejoins Gators' Coaching Staff

After spending a few seasons away from the place he used to call home, the Florida Gators are welcoming back Corey Bell as an assistant director of player personnel in high school relations, SI.com reports.

Bell previously coached the defensive backs in Gainesville and rejoins the program at a time where his strong ties to South Florida and previous high school coaching history in Miami could help replenish the roster with talent.

Bell, a Miami-native, played football at South Carolina, where he graduated in 1995. His bio states he was a two-year varsity letterman and starting cornerback and played alongside current Gators assistant, Chris Rumph.

Bell spent the 2017 season as Florida's assistant defensive backs coach as a part of head coach Jim McElwain's coaching staff, who was fired from UF at the end of the season.

At UF, he guided two Gators to second-team All-SEC honors following the 2017 season, and head to UCF soon after, where he landed a spot coaching the UCF Knights cornerbacks.

After former UCF head coach Josh Heupel left for Tennessee and new head coach Gus Malzahn took over for the Knights — with all new staff — Bell was on the move from his role as the cornerbacks coach in Orlando. He served as in the role from 2018 to 2020.

After spending the last two seasons coaching the Knights' cornerbacks, SI.com reports he is projected to see at least two members of his former team's secondary be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Defensive backs Richie Grant and Aaron Robinson were the two defensive stars on UCF Pro Day, with Nevelle Clark and Tay Gowan just behind — all draft-eligible and guided under Bell's leadership. He worked under former UCF defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, who he also served under at Miami from 2007 to 2010 at Miami as the director of football operations.

Bell's coaching resume hits all parts of Florida with stops at USF, FAU and Miami.

In 2017, Bell spent time on the staff at South Florida, and from 2014 to 2016, he served as secondary coach and assistant director of player personnel at Florida Atlantic.

Bell coached three Owls to four All-Conference USA honors, and one of his protégés at Florida Atlantic became just the sixth Owls player to be selected in the 2015 NFL Draft.