With offensive coordinator Blake Anderson headed to Arkansas State as the Red Wolves’ new head coach, North Carolina tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Walt Bell will call plays at Saturday’s Belk Bowl vs. Cincinnati. Some have speculated Bell could replace Anderson as offensive coordinator, while other reports have him joining Anderson’s staff at Arkansas State.
We caught up with Bell after UNC’s practice Tuesday.
Daily Tar Heel: What’s your approach to calling plays Saturday?
Walt Bell: The most important thing is it’s really going to be a group effort between coach (Larry) Fedora, between coach (Chris Kapilovic) and Gunter Brewer and myself. It won’t be me up there doing it by myself. I can promise you that. It’s going to be a group effort. (Run game coordinator) Kap and (passing game coordinator) Gunter are both so valuable to game day being on the field. They gotta be down there with the guys. I was just the odd man out, so yeah, I’ll be going upstairs, but it’ll definitely be a group effort.
DTH: How much of an impact did Blake Anderson have here as offensive coordinator?
WB: Blake did an incredible job. Obviously, he’s incredibly important to me just in my life, in my professional career. But he’s important in a lot of these guys’ lives. Not only was he a great football coach — and that’s really what matters to a lot of people — but he also was just a great human being and a great guy. And all of these guys to a man would tell you that they were appreciative of him not only as a football coach but as a person and a human being.
DTH: Did it catch you off guard at all when he left? Or did you see it coming?
WB: I mean, obviously, in this profession, when you’ve had the type of success that he’s had, you’re going to get opportunities like that. That’s something that he wanted, and he’s wanted it for a long time, and for him to get that opportunity is really special.
DTH: As far as the way this offense looks Saturday, what sorts of things are you working on?
WB: In terms of differences, there won’t be any. We’ll be fast. There really won’t be anything any different. Obviously, there a couple of things — game-plan things — that we’d prepare for any game, but no, there won’t be anything that to the average fan will be really significant … We’re not going to be like Stanford all of a sudden. It’ll be much the same.
DTH: There’s a lot of speculation as far as what’s next for you with Anderson going to Arkansas State. Is that something you’ve figured out yet? Do you know where you’re going to end up?
WB: The most important thing to me is that we play well on Saturday. Obviously, I’m unbelievably blessed to have as many opportunities as I’ve got. But the most important thing to me right now is that we play well and that we move the ball on Saturday.
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