Pitt Extends Offensive Coordinator Kade Bell

After one season with the Pitt Panthers, offensive coordinator Kade Bell has signed an extension with the program, a source confirmed with Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Pete Thamel of ESPN was the first to report on Friday evening that Pitt has agreed to a new contract for the 32-year-old Bell that will give him a raise that is expected to be among the top third of ACC offensive coordinators.

Pete Nakos of On3 also reports that it will be a three-year extension.

Pitt has signed offensive coordinator Kade Bell to a three-season contract extension, a source tells @On3sports.

The 32-year-old OC will also receive a pay raise.https://t.co/MlYrrfU7KR pic.twitter.com/3tybEddvj6

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) March 14, 2025

Bell joined the Pitt staff in 2024, bringing in his “play fast, score faster” offense that relies on an up-tempo, spread approach. Pitt saw its offensive numbers increase across the board from 2023.

The Panthers scored 32.92 points per game in 2024, a jump from 116th in the country to 31st. Total offense improved from 116th to 46th with 408.69 yards per game. Under Bell, Pitt was also first in red-zone touchdowns with 24.

In November, Nakos reported that Bell was in consideration for the Oklahoma offensive coordinator opening. The Sooners would hire Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

Under Bell, Pitt redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein took ahold of the starting job and thrived when healthy. Holstein tied a Pitt freshman record with 17 touchdowns (Alex Van Pelt) and broke the single-game freshman passing record with 381 yards against North Carolina.

Holstein had an impressive start to his Pitt career with massive comeback victories over Cincinnati and rival West Virginia as the Panthers started 7-0. In 10 games, he completed 180-of-291 passes (61.9%) for 2,228 yards. He added 328 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Running back Desmond Reid was also a top weapon in the offense as he earned All-American honors as an all-purpose talent. He compiled 962 rushing yards, 579 receiving yards and 159 punt return yards, along with 10 total touchdowns. His 154.9 all-purpose yards per game were fifth-best in the country as he earned All-American Second-Team honors.

Reid came to Pitt with Bell from Western Carolina, along with wide receivers Censere Lee and Raphael “Poppi” Williams, who spent one season at San Diego State in between the two programs.

Bell graduated from Jacksonville in 2015 after a standout career as a quarterback. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Valdosta State (D2) in 2016, rising to offensive coordinator and passing game coordinator — leading an offense in 2018 that broke the Division II total points record.

Bell took the offensive coordinator position, also serving as an associate head coach, at Tusculum (D2) in 2020, and he spent two years with the Pioneers before taking the offensive coordinator job at Western Carolina for two seasons before joining Pitt.