MoWest Athletics named Wes Bell as the new Director of Sports Performance at Missouri Western State University on July 1, 2026.
Bell returned to MoWest after serving four years as the head football coach and Athletic Strength Coordinator at Cameron High School in Missouri. A familiar face to Griffon Athletics, Bell previously spent nine seasons on the MoWest football staff from 2007-15, including three years as defensive coordinator while also overseeing the program's strength and conditioning efforts.
During his time at Cameron, Bell guided the Dragons to back-to-back district championship game appearances, the program's first consecutive trips since the 2005-06 seasons. Prior to Cameron, he served as the head football coach and Athletic Strength Coordinator at El Dorado High School in Kansas from 2019-22.
Bell began his collegiate coaching career at Southwestern College in Kansas in 2004 as a special teams and defensive assistant before joining Minnesota State Moorhead in 2005. While at Minnesota State Moorhead, he served as special teams coordinator, strength and conditioning coordinator and defensive coordinator.
Bell first joined the Griffons in 2007 as defensive line coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator under head coach Jerry Partridge from 2013-15. He also served as MoWest strength and conditioning coordinator from 2009-14. During his final seven seasons with the Griffons, MWSU averaged 8.5 wins per year while Bell helped coach 30 All-MIAA selections and four All-Americans.
Following his first stint at MoWest, Bell spent four seasons at Central Missouri as defensive coordinator from 2016-19 before transitioning to the high school ranks.
Bell brings more than 22 years of coaching and education experience, including 15 years at the collegiate level. His extensive background in football, leadership and sports performance provides a strong foundation for overseeing the development of Griffon student-athletes across all sports.
Bell and his wife, Rebecca, have two sons, Chase and Gavin. Gavin currently plays defensive line for the Griffons.
