Bell resigns as Chester coach, stays on as AD
There’s a bit of shocking news out of Chester High School.
Chester Upland School District officials announced Thursday that LaDontay Bell has stepped down as the head football coach at the high school but will remain on as the district’s athletic director.
“I’m choosing to step down because it’s the right decision,” Bell said in a release on the school district web site. “It’s a selfless decision. It’s difficult to be a head coach and an athletic director. I’ve spent the last few years working with my coaching staff to build them up to lead. I love football but it’s a vehicle to help people navigate where they want to be in life. I’m passing the baton, knowing that one of my guys can steer this ship to greater depths if given the opportunity.”
Bell served two stints with the football program. He was an assistant coach under Charles Crews from 2010-13. He stepped away from the high school to coach at the middle school level and then returned to the high school as the head coach in 2016.
Under his guidance the Clippers went 36-33, with most of that success coming in the last four seasons. Since 2019, Chester was 29-12, won the United 10 championship in the COVID-shortened spring season of 2021, went 4-0 in league play in 2022 to claim its first outright Del Val League title in 25 years, and advanced to the District 1
Class 5A playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
“I wanted to bring structure to the program,” Bell said. “Chester has the talent, and I gained a greater passion to mentor youth during my years as a detention and probation officer. I’ve been fortunate enough to build a winning program with talented young men on the coaching staff and student-athletes that have bought into the program. We lead with structure and consistency. In seven years, I’ve never missed a practice or game.”
Chester enjoyed one of the finest seasons in program history this year. The Clippers went 10-2, set a record for wins in a season and achieved the first playoff victory in program history with an 18-15 triumph over Marple Newtown in the opening round of the District 1 Class 5A tournament.
“Coach Bell and his coaching staff have done tremendous things with our football program and in our community,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Craig Parkinson said in the release. “District officials are confident that he will help to build other sports programs throughout the district in the same winning fashion that he has with the football team. He brings a level of dedication that inspires and encourages our student-athletes and we are happy to have him serve the district full-time as our athletic director.”