Walt Bell Reportedly Will Be Named Florida State Offensive Coordinator, QB Coach

Head coach Willie Taggart has found his offensive coordinator.

Maryland offensive coordinator Walt Bell is reportedly set to be named to the same position at Florida State and will also serve as the Seminoles' quarterbacks coach.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported the news.

Bell spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Maryland. The Terrapins struggled throughout their 4-8 season, scoring just 24.1 points per game and 116th nationally in passing yards and 77th in rushing.

Bell's hiring comes more than a month after Taggart was hired at Florida State, leaving Oregon after just one season. The slow-moving process with Taggart's assistant coaching staff was odd, but there seemed to be a growing consensus Florida State was simply waiting out Alabama's season. Multiple reports, including one from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, pegged Alabama's Mike Locksley as the next Seminoles offensive coordinator.

However, with Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll heading to the Buffalo Bills, Locksley seems likely to take over that role.

Florida State is coming off a 7-6 season that saw the Seminoles struggle offensively following Deondre Francois' injury in the opening week. Francois is expected to return healthy for the start of the 2018 season, and the Seminoles also return Cam Akers, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards during his freshman campaign.

Suffice it to say Bell will have far more to work with than he ever did at Maryland.