Ringing the Bell: Riverview grad is new Pitt baseball coach

Seventeen years after starting his coaching career, Mike Bell has gained what he coveted all along: a chance to build a program of his own.

The 1991 Riverview High graduate was named the University of Pittsburgh head baseball coach July 10. Bell is the eighth coach in Pittsburgh’s history and faces the challenge of making the Panthers competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference, widely considered the best baseball conference in NCAA Division 1.

It’s a conference Bell knows well, taking the Pittsburgh job after serving seven years as the pitching coach at Florida State University, where he also played for two seasons. He was named the Perfect Game Assistant Coach of the Year in 2012. Under his watch, Seminole pitching staffs have recorded 500 strikeouts in five of seven seasons, and finished seventh in the country in 2018 (635). The Seminoles had 25 pitchers selected in the MLB draft during Bell’s tenure.

While it was tough to leave behind the relationships he built at FSU, he said, the decision to go to Pittsburgh was easy.

“I knew the vision of the program,” Bell said. “Being in a Power Five conference brings the ability to compete for championships. I see it as a blank canvas, or clay that can be molded.”

Bell said being named head coach brought feelings of excitement and a sense of accomplishment, and that his world has been moving “100 mph” since the announcement. He also expressed thanks for all the coaches in Sarasota who first taught him the nuances of the game and how to find success. That includes Sarasota Little League staff, but also the Sarasota Ringling Redskins, for whom Bell played football. It also includes former Riverview coach Larry Altier and Sarasota High coach Clyde Metcalf, with whom Bell stays in touch.

“You take bits and pieces from each coach,” Bell said. “I had lots of individuals lay a hand for me and touch my life.”

Pittsburgh was as excited to have Bell as he was to have the program. Athletic director Heather Lyke said in a statement that Bell “brings an outstanding pedigree” to the program.

"Coach Bell is a thoughtful leader whose professional experience, knowledge of the game and proven track record of success will enable him to lead our baseball program into sustained success in the ACC and nationally,” Lyke said in the statement. “He has recruited and won at the highest levels and I am confident he will do the same here at Pitt.”

Metcalf said he believes Bell will find success at Pittsburgh thanks to both his on-field coaching and his ability to recruit. Bell was ranked the 13th-best recruiter in the country in 2017 by D1baseball.com. Even though Metcalf didn't personally coach Bell, he watched Bell play all the time. Metcalf said Bell was a good player at Riverview, athletically, but his attention to detail turned him great. He’s a student of the game, Metcalf said, and that’s what led to him being a great coach.

While Bell has his eyes on the future, there will always be a spot for his hometown in his heart.

“You never forget where you came from,” Bell said. “I still have a fondness for Sarasota and the county. There’s a bunch of great people there. They support their athletes. That’s what it’s all about, the mentorship you can provide. You give goals for them to reach and be successful in life.”