Bell officially named Notasulga head coach

By Tim Cottrell

Published: June 27, 2008

It’s finally official.

After serving as interim coach at Notasulga for the final two games of last season and spring practice after Harry Mose’s resignation, Roland Bell was officially named the Blue Devils’ head coach last Friday by the Macon County School Board.

“It was a big burden lifted,” Bell said. “Just knowing that ‘OK, now we can get busy.’

“I was the interim the whole time ... There were a lot of things I didn’t do that I wanted to do because I didn’t know if it was going to be mine.”

Bell takes over a Notasulga squad that has gone 1-18 over the last two seasons, including an 0-10 mark last year. He said there were only two immediate goals for beginning the turnaround.

“The biggest thing I did when I took over was I started with discipline,” Bell said. “I put my foot down on some stuff — coming to practice to start with. The kids responded well to it. I didn’t have any trouble the last week-and-a-half I had them or during the spring.

“Discipline was the first thing. The second thing was I got the weight program started again. I had guys working real hard ... Those were the two biggest things I did right there.”

Despite less-than-stellar records the past two seasons, Bell believes the Blue Devils are capable of becoming a competitive team again.

“The last two games I had them last year, the thing that I emphasized to them mostly was we’re only losing three seniors,” he said. “Most everybody is coming back, and you’re gonna come back bigger, faster, stronger and more knowledgeable.

“I could say let’s win a few games and start building back, but I think this team has the potential to make the playoffs.”

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