Colorado University Athletics
Von Bell Brings NFL Experience, Relentless Energy to Colorado Safeties
March 11, 2026 | Football
BOULDER — Colorado Buffaloes safeties coach Von Bell thought this offseason might be quieter.
A few workouts. Some film. Time around the game.
Instead, the former NFL safety found himself right back in the middle of football, this time with a whistle around his neck and a new role coaching Colorado's safeties.
"I breathe, live and eat football," Bell said. "It's truly an opportunity. I'm really blessed, and I just embrace the grind, embrace the opportunity and be here wholeheartedly and fully committed."
Bell originally arrived in Boulder preparing to help the program as an analyst, staying close to the game while continuing to train and study the defense. But as spring approached, the opportunity to coach the safeties opened and the transition happened quickly.
The shift felt natural.
"I was always thought like a coach when I played," Bell said. "Helping the guys out, being a smart player, always in the coaches' offices, picking their minds. It was always in me. I just made it official."
Building the Safeties Room
From the moment he stepped into the room, Bell saw potential.
"The sky's the limit with this group," he said. "I challenge and urge them every day to challenge one another and really embark on that journey; the commitment, the process."
Colorado's safeties come from a variety of defensive backgrounds, but Bell said the transition is more about terminology than learning an entirely new system.
"It's not a new scheme, but they've all been in different schemes," he said. "It's just the terminology. I dive in and do the homework, find the snakes in the defense and challenge the group to keep pressing every day."
Bell said what stands out most is the intelligence and versatility inside the room.
"It's a very talented group," he said. "A lot of versatility, a lot of smart guys. They're challenging me too. I'm excited to work with them every day."
Several players have already stood out during spring practice, including Nate, who Bell says has taken a strong approach to learning the defense.
"Naeten (Mitchell) is doing well," Bell said. "He's constantly in my office. He wants to learn. When you have a guy that's always asking questions and always trying to understand the details, that's what you want."
Bell said that level of curiosity and accountability is exactly what he wants the entire room to embrace.
"When guys show up like that every day and want to be coached, it gives you that itch even more," Bell said.
Boo Carter has also made an early impression.
"Boo is special," Bell said. "He's hungry to learn. He's always asking questions, always wanting more. When you get a young guy like that who loves the game and wants to understand it, that excites you as a coach."
Bell believes Carter's natural instincts and work ethic give him the chance to develop quickly.
"He's got the talent," Bell said. "Now it's about continuing to learn the game and understanding the details. He's a guy that shows up every day ready to work."
Coaching Beyond Football
Bell's message extends well beyond the playbook.
"I teach them from my failures," he said. "I've been in their shoes before. Where they're trying to get to, I've been there."
His upbringing continues to shape the way he approaches coaching.
"I grew up in a two-parent household and a very structured family," Bell said. "I pray about it and ask God to give me the strength and the right words and wisdom to give them every day."
That discipline still defines his daily routine. Bell said he continues to train at 4 a.m., a habit that reflects the structure he wants his players to adopt.
"I was trying to run away from it at first, still trying to play," he said. "But there's a different calling. Don't run away from your gift that God gave you."
Learning From Experience
Bell's NFL background shapes the way he teaches the safety position.
He often shares lessons from conversations with elite quarterbacks he faced during his career.
"I remember Drew Brees sat me down one time and told me a good quarterback wins you six games, a great one wins you eight to 10, and the rest is the camaraderie of the team," Bell said.
That perspective now informs how he teaches Colorado's safeties.
"We're the quarterback of the defense," Bell said. "It's about how you're watching the game, breaking it down, down and distance, personnel. The offense is always telling us a story."
Bell wants his players to think like quarterbacks, understanding the bigger picture of every snap.
"If we're telling you to hold the sky, hold it," he said.
A Natural Transition
Bell credits the coaches who shaped him throughout his playing career for influencing the way he now teaches the game.
"I appreciate the coaches who coached me hard and poured into me," he said. "It takes a village. From all the coaches I encountered, I appreciate how they pushed me as a man and a player."
His path to Colorado also came through longtime trainer Andreu Swasey and former defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who encouraged him to come to Boulder and simply spend time around the program and continue his workout.
"I was still trying to work out," Bell said. "Swasey was my trainer for eight years, and when he took the job here, he was like, 'Just come out and be around ball.' I was fighting it, praying about it. But I came out here, and it just stuck with me. Being around the kids, seeing their eyes light up. I found new love and passion."
Still Fueled by the Game
For Bell, coaching does not feel like stepping away from football.
It feels like seeing the game from a different angle.
"I'm thankful for the opportunity they gave me," he said. "I never take it for granted."
The same competitive fire that fueled his NFL career continues to drive him on the practice field.
"Every day I show up to work, it feels like I'm still playing," Bell said. "I've got to put the time in, learn the defense, game plan. It's still like being a player, but now it's chess pieces."
And for Bell, that challenge is exactly what keeps the passion alive.
"I'm blessed to have the opportunity to go out there and run with the guys every day," he said. "I love it. That fire is still going."
Fans wanting to get a first glimpse of the 2026 Colorado Buffaloes football team can claim tickets now for the annual AT&T Black & Gold Day on April 11.
Football season tickets are on sale now and fans are encouraged to lock in their seats for six exciting games at iconic Folsom Field this fall. Be a part of the pageantry and excitement of one of the most unique college football atmospheres in the country by getting your tickets today!
A few workouts. Some film. Time around the game.
Instead, the former NFL safety found himself right back in the middle of football, this time with a whistle around his neck and a new role coaching Colorado's safeties.
"I breathe, live and eat football," Bell said. "It's truly an opportunity. I'm really blessed, and I just embrace the grind, embrace the opportunity and be here wholeheartedly and fully committed."
Bell originally arrived in Boulder preparing to help the program as an analyst, staying close to the game while continuing to train and study the defense. But as spring approached, the opportunity to coach the safeties opened and the transition happened quickly.
The shift felt natural.
"I was always thought like a coach when I played," Bell said. "Helping the guys out, being a smart player, always in the coaches' offices, picking their minds. It was always in me. I just made it official."
Building the Safeties Room
From the moment he stepped into the room, Bell saw potential.
"The sky's the limit with this group," he said. "I challenge and urge them every day to challenge one another and really embark on that journey; the commitment, the process."
Colorado's safeties come from a variety of defensive backgrounds, but Bell said the transition is more about terminology than learning an entirely new system.
"It's not a new scheme, but they've all been in different schemes," he said. "It's just the terminology. I dive in and do the homework, find the snakes in the defense and challenge the group to keep pressing every day."
Bell said what stands out most is the intelligence and versatility inside the room.
"It's a very talented group," he said. "A lot of versatility, a lot of smart guys. They're challenging me too. I'm excited to work with them every day."
Several players have already stood out during spring practice, including Nate, who Bell says has taken a strong approach to learning the defense.
"Naeten (Mitchell) is doing well," Bell said. "He's constantly in my office. He wants to learn. When you have a guy that's always asking questions and always trying to understand the details, that's what you want."
Bell said that level of curiosity and accountability is exactly what he wants the entire room to embrace.
"When guys show up like that every day and want to be coached, it gives you that itch even more," Bell said.
Boo Carter has also made an early impression.
"Boo is special," Bell said. "He's hungry to learn. He's always asking questions, always wanting more. When you get a young guy like that who loves the game and wants to understand it, that excites you as a coach."
Bell believes Carter's natural instincts and work ethic give him the chance to develop quickly.
"He's got the talent," Bell said. "Now it's about continuing to learn the game and understanding the details. He's a guy that shows up every day ready to work."
Coaching Beyond Football
Bell's message extends well beyond the playbook.
"I teach them from my failures," he said. "I've been in their shoes before. Where they're trying to get to, I've been there."
His upbringing continues to shape the way he approaches coaching.
"I grew up in a two-parent household and a very structured family," Bell said. "I pray about it and ask God to give me the strength and the right words and wisdom to give them every day."
That discipline still defines his daily routine. Bell said he continues to train at 4 a.m., a habit that reflects the structure he wants his players to adopt.
"I was trying to run away from it at first, still trying to play," he said. "But there's a different calling. Don't run away from your gift that God gave you."
Learning From Experience
Bell's NFL background shapes the way he teaches the safety position.
He often shares lessons from conversations with elite quarterbacks he faced during his career.
"I remember Drew Brees sat me down one time and told me a good quarterback wins you six games, a great one wins you eight to 10, and the rest is the camaraderie of the team," Bell said.
That perspective now informs how he teaches Colorado's safeties.
"We're the quarterback of the defense," Bell said. "It's about how you're watching the game, breaking it down, down and distance, personnel. The offense is always telling us a story."
Bell wants his players to think like quarterbacks, understanding the bigger picture of every snap.
"If we're telling you to hold the sky, hold it," he said.
A Natural Transition
Bell credits the coaches who shaped him throughout his playing career for influencing the way he now teaches the game.
"I appreciate the coaches who coached me hard and poured into me," he said. "It takes a village. From all the coaches I encountered, I appreciate how they pushed me as a man and a player."
His path to Colorado also came through longtime trainer Andreu Swasey and former defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who encouraged him to come to Boulder and simply spend time around the program and continue his workout.
"I was still trying to work out," Bell said. "Swasey was my trainer for eight years, and when he took the job here, he was like, 'Just come out and be around ball.' I was fighting it, praying about it. But I came out here, and it just stuck with me. Being around the kids, seeing their eyes light up. I found new love and passion."
Still Fueled by the Game
For Bell, coaching does not feel like stepping away from football.
It feels like seeing the game from a different angle.
"I'm thankful for the opportunity they gave me," he said. "I never take it for granted."
The same competitive fire that fueled his NFL career continues to drive him on the practice field.
"Every day I show up to work, it feels like I'm still playing," Bell said. "I've got to put the time in, learn the defense, game plan. It's still like being a player, but now it's chess pieces."
And for Bell, that challenge is exactly what keeps the passion alive.
"I'm blessed to have the opportunity to go out there and run with the guys every day," he said. "I love it. That fire is still going."
Fans wanting to get a first glimpse of the 2026 Colorado Buffaloes football team can claim tickets now for the annual AT&T Black & Gold Day on April 11.
Football season tickets are on sale now and fans are encouraged to lock in their seats for six exciting games at iconic Folsom Field this fall. Be a part of the pageantry and excitement of one of the most unique college football atmospheres in the country by getting your tickets today!
Players Mentioned
DB
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