Rick Bell will enter his sixth season as an assistant coach and his fourth year as defensive coordinator on the Duquesne women’s basketball staff for the 2026-27 season.
Bell brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the Bluff, including notably an 18-year career as the head boys basketball coach at nearby Canon-McMillan High School from 2001-2019. In October 2024, Bell was inducted into the Canon-McMillan Hall of Honor in recognition for academics and athletics.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Bell developed one of the nation’s premier rebounding teams. Duquesne ranked 19th nationally and led the Atlantic 10 with 41.5 rebounds per game. The Dukes were especially dominant on the offensive glass, finishing second in the conference and 40th in NCAA Division I with 14 offensive rebounds per contest. Bell’s defense also continued to create problems for opponents, as Duquesne led the A-10 in field goal percentage defense at 37.5 percent. The Dukes additionally forced more than 16 turnovers per game, ranking among the top five teams in the league.
Off the court, Bell participated in Mentor Madness at the 2025 Final Four in Tampa, Florida and also served as a speaker at the event, presenting on Duquesne women’s basketball leadership program.
In his second season as defensive coordinator, Bell led a disruptive Duquesne defense that consistently pressured opponents. The Dukes topped the Atlantic 10 and ranked 25th nationally in turnovers forced per game (20.1), while also leading the conference and ranking 36th in NCAA Division I in steals per game (10.3). Duquesne tallied 19 games with 10 or more steals and tied the program record with 25 takeaways in a win over Niagara. Under Bell’s guidance, the Dukes posted a 16–5 record when holding opponents to .400 percent shooting or less, and a 16–6 mark when limiting teams to 70 points or fewer.
Under Bell’s tutelage, the defense was anchored by Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Megan McConnell. McConnell led the nation in total steals with 138 and ranked second nationally in steals per game at 4.1. During the 2024–25 season, she earned a spot on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watchlist and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year (2023-24 and 2024-25). She finished her career as Duquesne's all-time steals leader with 370 takeaways.
In the 2022-23 season, Bell was moved to the defensive coordinator position, where under his tutelage, Duquesne led the conference in opponents field goal percentage and defensive rebounding while sitting second in blocks. The Dukes would follow that up by leading the Atlantic 10 in defensive rebounding in 2023-24 while being ranked fourth in blocks. Megan McConnell would be selected to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team the same season.
During the 2021-22 campaign, Bell was in his first season as the offensive coordinator as the Dukes led the Atlantic 10 in assists and assist to turnover ratio. They also sat third in the league in points and three-point field goals per game while being tabbed fourth in field goal percentage.
“We are excited to have Coach Bell join our program. He is no stranger to our team after attending numerous practices over the last couple of years,” Burt said. “Coach Bell’s strong x’s and o’s knowledge base, outstanding relationships with numerous local coaches, and player development skill set will make our program better. A man of the highest ethics and integrity, we believe that we have hit a home run with this hire and we can’t wait to get the season started.”
Bell coached the Big Macs to the school’s first-ever appearance in the WPIAL Semifinals in 2019 and established a school record with 21 wins during the 2017-18 campaign. He led Canon-McMillan to the WPIAL Playoffs six times and finished with a career-record of 428-316.
Before coming to Duquesne, Bell was the Vice President of the Pennsylvania Basketball Coaches Association. Bell spent the two years before coming to the Bluff aiding the Geneva College men’s basketball team where his son, R.J., was a member of the team.
Prior to Canon-McMillan, Bell spent 13 years as the head boys basketball coach at Peters Township in McMurray, Pennsylvania where he made 11-straight trips to the postseason.
In 1996, Bell had the privilege of being an assistant coach for the “East Team” in the McDonalds All-American Boys Game played at the former Pittsburgh Civic Arena. His East Team roster included the late Kobe Bryant and future NBA stars Rip Hamilton, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, and Tim Thomas.
Rick and his wife, Mary, have two children, Angela and R.J.
