RJ Bell enters his fourth season as an assistant coach and sixth season on staff during the 2026-27 season for the Duquesne women's basketball team.
After a two-year stint as a graduate student, Bell was promoted to assistant coach ahead of the 2023-24 season.
In his first season as offensive coordinator, Bell helped transform Duquesne into one of the top three-point shooting teams in the Atlantic 10 during the 2025-26 season. The Dukes ranked third in the conference with more than seven made three-pointers per game and recorded nine games with double-digit threes, including a season-high 17 in a victory over Pitt during the annual City Game.
Bell’s offense featured two of the conference’s premier perimeter shooters in Alexis Bordas and Mackenzie Blackford. Bordas led the Atlantic 10 and ranked 12th nationally with 2.9 made three-pointers per game, while also placing third in the conference and 26th in NCAA Division I with 90 total triples. Blackford ranked fourth in the A-10 in both three-pointers per game (2.4) and total made threes (75).
Over the past two seasons, Bell has contributed on the offensive side of the ball, working closely with the offensive coordinator. During the 2024–25 campaign, the Dukes ranked second in NCAA Division I in three-point attempts and fifth nationally in three-pointers made per game. Bell played a key role in an offense that delivered a record-breaking performance that season.
The Dukes connected on a program-record 341 three-pointers and scored a single-season high of 2,446 points during the 2024–25 campaign. They averaged 71.9 points per game and made 863 field goals—both figures ranking second in program history. Despite their fast-paced, high-volume style of play, the Dukes maintained efficiency, finishing the season with a .410 field goal percentage—the ninth-highest in program history.
In addition to organizing and managing film breakdown, Bell brings valuable domestic and international recruiting experience. He has also taken on an expanded role in player development, leading on-court workouts that reflect Duquesne’s offensive philosophy. Bell has been instrumental in the development of Mackenzie Blackford and Andjela Matic, who ranked second and third on the team in three-pointers made, respectively. As a freshman, Blackford led the team with a 38.7 percent shooting mark from beyond the arc, while Matic connected on 45 triples at a 34.1 percent clip.
Bell, who is the son of assistant coach
Rick Bell, joined the staff after wrapping up his collegiate playing career at Geneva College. He played in all 65 games over his final three seasons with the Golden Tornadoes and helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2020 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Game.
