Jacksonville parts ways with Kerwin Bell after 9 seasons

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville University has parted ways with football coach Kerwin Bell after nine seasons. Chief Athletics Officer Dr. Donnie Horner

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) Jacksonville University has parted ways with football coach Kerwin Bell after nine seasons.

Chief Athletics Officer Dr. Donnie Horner made the announcement Thursday, saying Bell's contract will not be renewed. It expires Dec. 31.

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Bell, a former college quarterback at Florida, went 66-35 overall and 50-21 in the Pioneer Football League of the Football Championship Subdivision.

The coach and the school had a different vision for the future, with Bell wanting to become a full-scholarship program and Horner saying the university ''is 100 percent committed to playing FCS non-scholarship football in the Pioneer Football League.''

Bell called his tenure a ''special nine years,'' but added that the program ''should show more respect for what we've done.'' He was upset that officials waited 12 days after the end of the season to make the decision, giving him and assistants less time to find new jobs.