Vonn Bell came into the league as a part of the New Orleans Saints 2015 NFL draft class. A decade later, he returned back to the collegiate ranks. Saturday, the former safety announced he would be the University of Colorado safeties coach.
The interesting part of the story is that Bell was a part of the Buffaloes staff last year as well. During the 2025 campaign, he was a defensive analyst. It just wasn't announced at the time, so no one knew until Bell put both years on his graphic
Now that Bell has made the next step in his career, it's safe to officially close the playing chapter of his career. Bell finished his career with a one year return to the Cincinatti Bengals in 2024. Philip Rivers may have taught us that there's always a chance to come back, but let's treat it as the most expectable scenario.
Vonn Bell is already off to a strong start with the Buffaloes
A year after being just a defensive analyst, Bell found his way into a bigger role. It’s not as if Bell stepped into Boulder and instantaneously was a positional coach. It may have taken a short amount of time, but he did still work his way up. Clearly, Bell impressed in his smaller role to earn a bigger role and more responsibility in a quick fashion.
Former NFL players have been a big draw on the Colorado coaching staff since Deion Sanders took over. It's regular to see a staff with former pro players, and coaches with that background have received a lot of attention with the Buffs. Those players have had a bigger profile than Bell, but he still follows the same mold.
One thing Bell brings to the table is recent playing experience. It's something those other coaches didn't bring. That recent experience gives Bell first hand experience against the offenses the players are attempting to defend. That was great in an analytical role. As he steps as safeties coach, Bell will need to turn the analyzing into teaching.