Stanford Basketball Announces Big Addition to Coaching Staff

Welcome to the staff, Amir Bell

Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Kyle Smith during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Big things are coming for Stanford basketball this season, both on and off the floor. Finishing with over 20 wins last season in both their first season in the ACC and under new head coach, Kyle Smith, the Cardinal enter this season with a lot of expectations for themselves, hoping that they can find sustainable success and make a run at the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade.

And while the Cardinal are only one game into their quest for greatness this season, they are already making some very important changes in the hopes that they get the most out of their current roster.

Stanford basketball has announced that they're adding former Princeton basketball star, Amir Bell, to its coaching staff for the upcoming season. Bell, currently an overseas player in the Polish League, will take on the role as Special Assistant to the Head Coach and will work very closely with coach Smith.

A standout at Princeton from 2014-18, Bell was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 but went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft. Playing overseas since 2018, Bell has continued to work tirelessly for a potential shot at the NBA.

Having Bell's influence on staff could go a long way for a young Stanford team. Losing key players such as Jaylen Blakes and Maxime Raynaud, the Cardinal have a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this season's team, but with a strong incoming recruiting class, the program is confident that it can reach new heights.

Below is a press release sent out by Stanford Athletics on Thursday morning.

Amir Bell Joins Staff as Special Assistant to the Head Coach

STANFORD, Calif. – Welcomed to the Stanford staff after a highly successful collegiate and international basketball career, Amir Bell has joined the Cardinal men's basketball program as special assistant to the head coach.

“We are so grateful to have Amir Bell join our staff,” said Kyle Smith, the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball. “Amir and I go back to my days at Columbia when I had an unsuccessful attempt to recruit him, which later resulted in having to compete against him at Princeton. He has always impressed me as a player, competitor, leader, and, more importantly, as a person of high character.”

Bell played seven professional seasons after graduating from Princeton in 2018, seeing the court in Italy, Malaysia, Germany, Poland and Cyprus. His successful career resulted in numerous accolades, including a 2020 Asia-Basket.com All-ASEAN League second team selection, 2024 Polish League Defensive Player of the Year honors and 2025 Eurobasket.com Cypriot OPAP Basketball first team accolades. Bell was also the 2025 Finals MVP in Cyprus for league champion AEK Larnaca.

A standout guard for the Tigers from 2014-18, Bell was the 2018 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. He currently sits 35th on the Princeton career scoring list with 1,043 career points and seventh in career assists with 313. Bell helped lead Princeton to the 2017 Ivy League Championship.

“Amir played for Mitch Henderson in one of the most tradition rich programs in college basketball,” continued Smith. “I was fortunate enough to work with two former Princeton players in Joe Scott and Chris Mooney, who have shaped many of my basketball philosophies.  They gave me a great understanding of how high academics can achieve at the highest levels: the Smart take from the strong.”

Bell is reunited on the Stanford coaching staff with Brett MacConnell, who was an assistant coach at Princeton while Bell was a student-athlete.

“Amir brings his unique experiences to develop and advise our current student-athletes,” added Smith. “Being a recently retired professional player adds another dimension to our staff that is needed. He will assist in all facets of the program in his role as special assistant.”

Outside of his playing career, Bell was the founder and trainer of BrunswickGrassroots, an organization designed for elite basketball training for players of all levels.