Vonn Bell knew he should coach, hopes to fix CU’s subpar defense
- Kayla Mumma
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Vonn Bell has embraced his quick and unexpected transition to his new role as Colorado Buffaloes safeties coach, leaning on his past expertise and immense passion for the game.
A few weeks ago, Bell was preparing to serve as just an analyst under Robert Livingston. The defensive coordinator left on the eve of spring ball to take a job working for coach Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos.
The changes on the defensive side of the ball pushed Bell to his most prominent coaching role yet. Leading the Buffs’ safeties room was an opportunity for the nine-year NFL veteran to jump into.
Bell described this change as both “a short journey” and “a blessing.”
“I truly want to embrace the opportunity,” Bell told reporters on Mar. 11. “I’m just being here wholeheartedly and fully committed.”
Bell’s coaching strategy is already taking shape on and off the field, centered on accountability. He challenged his players to push one another daily.
“The sky’s the limit with this group,” Bell said. “It’s a lot of versatility, a lot of smart guys. I just keep on challenging them and challenging myself, too."
The challenge for Bell is taking a defense that allowed the fourth-most points in the Big 12 in the 2025 season. The good news for Bell is that it's an almost entirely new defense from last year, with only two players returning. The bad news is that he has a shorter time clock to coach over a dozen new additions to the defense.
“Through all my successes and failures, I just pour into them,” he explained his thoughts on being a mentor. “It’s a steady grind I’m just embracing every day.”
The transition from playing the game to now being on the sideline as a coach has been quite easy for Bell in multiple aspects. He discussed that even during his time playing, he naturally leaned towards wanting a leadership role. He caught himself studying film, mentoring other teammates and spending extra time with coaches.
“It was always in me,” he said. “I just made it official.”
Electrified by his love for the game, Bell has stepped into this coaching role, hoping to be a strong new voice and positive impact for the Buffaloes secondary.