Sunday, May 31, 2026

90 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #90 Da'Shawn Davis

                                                                                                         
It's now 90 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #90 on the WCU Spring Roster:





Position Defensive Line 
Height 6-2 
Weight 225 
Class Graduate Student 
Hometown Charlotte, N.C. 
High School Hough HS
College:  Georgia Southern






Prior to Western Carolina: Transferred to WCU from Georgia Southern during the spring semester as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining ... 

At Georgia Southern: Played in 37 games over four seasons, credited with 57 total tackles, including 25 solo stops and 13.5 for loss, including six sacks ... Credited with three pass breakups and two fumbles forced ... Played in four bowl games at GSU - Birmingham Bowl (2025), New Orleans Bowl (2024), Myrtle Beach Bowl (2023), and Camellia Bowl (2022) ... Suffered an ankle injury and missed several weeks before returning in 2025 … Played in 13 games in 2024 with 25 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and a sack, and a pass breakup on the season … Saw action in 12 games in 2023 with 25 tackles, including 7.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks, with two hurries ... In 2022, played in seven games with 80 snaps, posting six tackles, including 2.5 sacks … Made his collegiate debut in the win over No. 25 James Madison, playing eight snaps on defense; 

High School: Played for Coach Matt Jenkins at Hough High … A North Carolina Super Team/All-State Second-Team selection by The Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer … Rated three stars by ESPN and as the No. 83 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 33 player in North Carolina … The Queen City Board 4A Defensive Player of the Year … Had 68 tackles (36 solo), including seven sacks, his senior year … Had 129 tackles (59 solo), including 19 sacks, over his high school career. 

Personal: Is the son of Latricia Byers and Norman Davis … Has two siblings, Di’Andre and Vincent … Brother, Di’Andre, plays football at ETSU.








Saturday, May 30, 2026

91 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #91 Jakoby Diamond

                                                                                                         
It's now 91 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #91 on the Spring Roster:

Jakoby Diamond





Position Defensive LIne 
Height 6-290 
Class Sophomore 
Hometown Cedartown, Ga. 
High School Cedartown HS
College  Tuskegee 









Prior to Western Carolina: Mid-year transfer from NCAA Division II Tuskegee … Saw action in six games as a freshman, recording 15 total tackles with three solo stops and 1.5 for loss, including a sack … Tallied a season-high five tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in a home contest against Fort Valley State … Added four stops against Allen… picked up a lose fumble against Morehouse … Prepped at Cedartown High School.








Friday, May 29, 2026

92 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - #92 Brandon Joseph II

                                                                                                         
It's now 92 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

Today we highlight the Catamount player currently assigned to #92 on the Spring Roster:

Brandon Joseph II







Position  Defensive Tackle 
Height  6-3 
Weight  285 
Class  Sophomore 
Hometown  Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 
High School  St. Thomas Aquinas HS












2025 (Freshman): Did not see game action, remaining eligible for a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina: Credited with 45 total tackles with 16 solo stops over his final two seasons, according to MaxPreps.com … Had six tackles for loss and six sacks, adding 15 hurries … Won a Florida 3M title in 2022 … Listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports.








Thursday, May 28, 2026

93 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Jeremy Johnson

                                                                                                         
It's now 93 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #93 on the Spring Roster, so today we will highlight a  player that could wear #93   

Jeremy Johnson 





Position Defensive Tackle
Height 5-10
Weight 300
Class Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown Lilburn, Ga.
High School Parkview HS
College  Concord University






2025 (Redshirt Freshman): A mid-year transfer to Western Carolina, enrolling in school in January ... Took part in WCU's annual spring drills ... Did not see game action.

Prior to Western Carolina: Played in three games as a true freshman at Concord University, credited with one tackle against Charleston (W.Va.) ... Made his collegiate debut on Sept. 14, 2024, against UVA Wise; High School: According to MaxPreps, was credited with 63 total tackles as a junior and senior with 36 solo stops and 16.5 tackles for loss with five sacks and a forced fumble.








Wednesday, May 27, 2026

94 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Adrian Stone

                                                                                                         
It's now 94 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #94 on the Spring Roster, but today we will highlight a  player that could wear #94    

 Adrian Stone











Position Defensive Tackle
Height 6-3
Weight 290
Class Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown Fort Myers, Fla.
High School North Fort Myers HS









2025 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in all 12 of the team’s seasonal games, each coming as a defensive reserve and on special teams … Credited with six total tackles on the season with three solo stops … Made his WCU debut in the season-opener against Gardner-Webb (Aug. 30) … Tallied his first career tackle in the home win over Samford (Sept. 20) … Posted a career-best two tackles in the road win at Chattanooga (Nov. 1).

2024 (Freshman): Did not see game action, remaining eligible for a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina: Named first-team News-Press All-Area as a senior … Selected to play in the FACA All-Star Classic … Listed as one of the top defensive players in southwest Florida entering the 2023 season … As a junior, tallied 78 tackles including 30 solo stops and 13 tackles for loss … Added 18 hurries, nine sacks, two forced fumbles and a PBU … In 2020, was invited to the FBU Freshman All-American Bowl.







Tuesday, May 26, 2026

95 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - J'evon Bush

                                                                                                         
It's now 95 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #95 on the Spring Roster, but today we will highlight a  player that could wear #95      

J'evon Bush









Position Defensive Tackle
Height 6-5
Weight 330
Class Redshirt Freshman
Hometown Orlando, Fla.
High School Jones HS












2025 (Freshman): Did not see game action, remaining eligible for a redshirt.

Prior to Western Carolina: Started his prep career at Oak Ridge High before finishing at Jones High in Orlando … Listed as one of the top defensive tackles in Florida by the Florida Varsity Rivals … Was a two-way lineman on both the offensive and defensive front for part of his prep career … Credited with 93 total tackles as a senior including 16 solo stops and a pair of tackles for loss with a sack … Also had a fumble recovery in the 2024 season.






Monday, May 25, 2026

96 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Kyle Dickey

                                                                                                         
It's now 96 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #96 on the Spring Roster, so we will highlight a member of the Coaching Staff:  

Kyle Dickey





Title: Assistant Coach / Tight Ends / Pass Game Coordinator



Kyle Dickey, the former offensive coordinator at Tusculum University, joined the Catamount football offensive coaching staff as the tight ends coach in January 2024.

During the spring of 2026, Dickey was entrusted with the additional responsibilities as the pass game coordinator for the WCU offense.

On staff at his alma mater, Tusculum, since 2019, Dickey worked on the coaching staffs of former head coach – Jerry Odom – and coached alongside former Catamount offensive coordinator Kade Bell who ACC-member Pittsburgh hired in December 2023.

Most recently, Dickey was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Tusculum, also carrying the title of interim head coach upon Odom’s departure for Cullowhee. While Dickey was on staff in Greeneville, Tenn., the Pioneers won two South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Mountain Division titles and finished in the top four of the conference in each of his five seasons. Tusculum posted back-to-back winning seasons in 2022 and 2023 with the team’s 8-3 record in 2022 marking the program’s best since 2008. During his tenure, Dickey also mentored 16 All-South Atlantic Conference standouts on offense.

The 2020-21 Tusculum offensive unit generated some outstanding numbers as the Pioneers went 4-1 and claimed the SAC Mountain Division title and posted a thrilling 28-23 win at defending league champion Lenoir-Rhyne as TU won its third SAC Championship. The Pioneers led the league in scoring offense (37.6 ppg), total offense (533.4 yds/gm), and passing offense (394.2 yds/gm).

He took the reins as offensive coordinator in 2021 when Kade Bell joined his father on staff at WCU. In his first season, the Pioneers scored 366 points (33.3 points per game – 2nd in SAC, 38th in NCAA II), representing the fifth-highest season total in program history. The offense was a balanced attack with 21 rushing touchdowns and 21 passing TDs. All told, Tusculum finished the season third in the league in total offense at 400.5 yards per game including 257 passing yards per game – second in the SAC and 31st nationally.

The following season, the Pioneers went 8-3 in 2022 and finished runner-up in the SAC Mountain Division. Tusculum averaged 30.5 points (4th in SAC 50th in NCAA II) and 395.6 yards of total offense per game (2nd in SAC / 49th in NCAA II). Tusculum also finished second in the SAC averaging 235.2 passing yards per contest (39th in NCAA II).

Dickey has experience in Western North Carolina as he earned his coaching start on the sidelines at nearby Brevard High. From 2015-2018 as an assistant coach and the offensive coordinator for the final three years, he helped the Blue Devils to three North Carolina state playoff appearances (2016-2018) including a 2016 conference championship – the program’s first in 10 years.

Leading Brevard’s offense, the Blue Devils posted a 27-13 record that included a regional runner-up finish. His 2016 unit averaged 37.2 points per game while amassing 332.3 yards offensively per contest. Over three seasons, BHS averaged 31 points per game on offense before he returned to Tusculum as the offensive graduate assistant coach in June 2019.

A versatile student-athlete, Dickey played at Tusculum from 2011 to 2014 where he saw action at quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end. He was the first player in program history to record a touchdown pass, catch, and scoring rush in a career. His 61.9 completion percentage remains the fourth-best in Tusculum history.

As a senior in 2014, Dickey led Tusculum to four straight come-from-behind wins to end the season including a 14-10 road win at Wingate. That was followed by a 20-17 overtime win over UNC Pembroke the next week as he completed a 27-yard TD pass on fourth down for the game-winner. In his final collegiate game, Dickey rallied Tusculum from a 12-point deficit with 3:29 left in the contest with two TD passes in a 38-35 win at Mars Hill, earning SAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

A native of McDonough, Ga., just southeast of Atlanta, Dickey played his prep career at Luella High in Locust Grove, Ga., where he garnered All-Region honors while passing for 3,500 yards and 35 touchdowns. He led the 2009 team to its first-ever playoff appearance in program history.

Dickey graduated from Tusculum in 2014 with a Bachelor of  Arts degree in sports science while minoring in coaching. He earned his master's degree at Tusculum in 2020 in organizational training and performance management. While a student-athlete, he was a member of the Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.






Sunday, May 24, 2026

97 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Rylan Wells

                                                                                                         
It's now 97 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #97 on the Spring Roster, so we will highlight a member of the Coaching Staff:  

Rylan Wells



Title:   Assistant Coach / Offensive Coordinator


Rylan Wells joined the Western Carolina football coaching staff in the spring of 2021, working with the Catamount tight ends and fullbacks. He was later named the program's recruiting coordinator. In January 2024, Wells was promoted to the position of Offensive Coordinator by WCU head coach Kerwin Bell.

A former college quarterback under Bell, Wells has experience coaching across the field having worked with nearly every position group during his career. Wells came to Cullowhee initially after a year at Tusculum University.

Over the past three seasons at WCU, Wells has been a part of the Catamount offensive coaching staff that has broken the school record for total offense twice with 5,339 yards in 2022 eclipsed by a record 5,545 yards last fall. WCU has scored an average of 33.9 points per game on an average of 486.8 yards of total offense since 2021. Wells has been an integral part of the staff as one of the coaches in the press box each week. His younger brother, Rogan, finished his collegiate career at WCU in 2021 with the sixth-most passing yards in a single season at 2,595 yards, capping a career that included stops at Valdosta State and Tusculum.

While coaching at Tusculum University with Kade, Wells mentored the Pioneers’ running backs. He was a part of claiming the 2021 spring South Atlantic Conference championship. He also served as the video coordinator while at Tusculum.

In the five-game 2021 spring schedule, Tusculum averaged 37.6 points per game and over 530 yards of offense per game including 139.2 yards per game on the ground. Under Wells’ tutelage, the junior running back tandem of TJ Jones and Maurice Gomillion accounted for 501 rushing yards and nine of the team’s 12 scores on the ground. The duo also recorded 26 receptions for 368 yards in five games, an average of 73.6 receiving yards per game, and amassed 173.8 yards of total offense per game.

Wells earned his coaching start on staff at his alma mater Jacksonville University for two seasons (2018-2019) where he was an offensive graduate assistant. With the Dolphins, he coached the offensive tackles in 2018 and the wide receivers in 2019. The 2018 Jacksonville offense ranked third in the nation in rushing, averaging 345.3 yards per game while boasting the nation’s fifth-ranked individual rusher in Calvin Turner, who ran for 1,431 yards in 10 games and posted the nation’s third-best average per game (143.1). Wells additionally served as the film coordinator for JU during the 2019 campaign.

Originally from Tega Cay, S.C., Wells was a member of the Jacksonville football team from 2013-2017 where he started at quarterback for 34 games. He finished his collegiate career ranked among the top five in Jacksonville history in rushing touchdowns (20), pass completions (257), passing attempts (444), completion percentage, and total offense (5,519 yds).

A 2017 team captain at Jacksonville, Wells started in all 11 games under center, passing for 1,480 yards and 11 touchdowns while also rushing for 472 yards and eight scores. A three-time Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week honoree, he was recognized as an Honorable Mention for the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Week following a performance against Davidson College that included five combined touchdowns and a Dolphins win.

In 2016, he became the first Jacksonville player to lead the Dolphins in both rushing and passing yards in the same season, accumulating 1,744 passing yards and 614 yards on the ground in 10 games. He scored 11 touchdowns and fell one score shy of the program single-game record against Marist, rushing for four scores in one game.

Wells earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Jacksonville in 2018 and completed his master’s degree in sport management in 2020.






Saturday, May 23, 2026

98 Days to WCU Football Kickoff - Nick Reveiz

                                                                                                         
It's now 98 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2025, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #98 on the Spring Roster, so we will highlight a member of the Coaching Staff:  

Nick Reveiz






  • Title
    Assistant Coach / Defensive Coordinator




Nick Reveiz (pronounced ruh-VASE), a 13-year collegiate coaching veteran who spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Charleston Southern (2023-25), was named to the same position at Western Carolina by Catamount head football coach Kerwin Bell in mid-February 2026.

Reveiz came to Cullowhee after three seasons leading the defense at Charleston Southern, which plays in the Big South/Ohio Valley Football Association. In 2025, the Buccaneers ranked 34th in the NCAA FCS in limiting opponents to just 24 points per game, surrendering 17 points or fewer five times. His defense forced 24 fumbles and ranked eighth in the nation in fourth-down defense. CSU limited Sun Belt Conference foe Coastal Carolina to just 13 points, and upset eventual Celebration Bowl Champion South Carolina State on the way to the Bucs’ best seasonal record since 2019. Charleston Southern boasted the Big South/OVC Freshman of the Year on defense in DB Anthony Paulk, while also featuring two first-team and four second-team Big South/OVC all-conference honorees.

Under the leadership of Reveiz in 2024, Charleston Southern’s defense ranked 54th in the NCAA FCS in total defense, limiting foes to an average of 353.7 yards per game, including 152.8 yards per game against the run (64th) and 200.8 yards per game through the air (45th). The Bucs upset nationally-ranked Furman in the second week of the season.

During his first year at CSU, he mentored first-team all-conference linebacker Malik Barnes, while also overseeing a unit that scored three defensive touchdowns. The 2023 Bucs team led the Big South/OVC in passing defense (173.3 yds/gm) and recorded 25 sacks in league play. The team upset Kennesaw State, which was transitioning to NCAA FBS competition that year.

While at Charleston Southern, Reveiz worked with multiple positions, including the defensive line (2023-24) and defensive backs (2025). During his three seasons in the Lowcountry, CSU only surrendered an average of 26.6 points per outing on defense.

Reveiz has some experience within the Southern Conference, spending 2022 on the sidelines at VMI, where he helped implement their zone scheme. That season, the Keydets finished third overall in the league in redzone defense and were fifth against the pass. Reveiz mentored three-time All-SoCon and All-America selection, linebacker Stone Snyder, who finished third in the nation in tackles with 107 through 10 games in 2022.

Reveiz spent five seasons at Albany State in Georgia, four as the co-defensive coordinator. In addition to coaching the linebackers, he also worked with two special teams. His defense finished 2021 ranked first in NCAA Division II in total defense, the only squad to hold opponents under 200 yards of total offense at 199.2 yards per game. Albany State also boasted the best scoring defense, allowing only 75 total points over 12 games for an average of 6.25 per game, as the Golden Rams advanced to the Division II playoffs.

While at Albany State, his defense finished among the national leaders at the NCAA Division II level in total defense, including No. 1 in 2021 (199.2 yds/gm), No. 2 in 2019 (257.9 yds/gm), and 17th in 2017. He also coached the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Player of the Year, Stephan Pierre, who was also selected as the HBCU Gameday National D-II Defensive Player of the Year.

Reveiz earned his coaching start at perennial NCAA D-II power Carson-Newman (2013-16) under head coach Ken Sparks, starting as a graduate assistant coach working with the linebackers. He then spent two years working on the offensive side of the ball, coaching the running backs, where he mentored two Harlon Hill Trophy finalists, Andy Hibbett and Damian Baker, before returning to defense in 2016 with the linebackers and All-SAC performer, Lane Bloom.

A former walk-on who earned a scholarship, Reveiz was a two-time team captain at the University of Tennessee. He collected 168 career tackles, including 81 solo stops and 10.5 for loss, for the Vols from 2007-10. Reveiz was one of 10 Vols to start every game in 2010, finishing with 108 tackles, including 51 solo stops and six TFLs. He posted a career-high 14 tackles in a game three times, including 14 in the Music City Bowl as a senior.

A finalist for the Burlsworth Award in 2010 – an award given to a former walk-on football player who shows outstanding performance on the field – Reveiz was also a three-time Academic All-SEC selection, graduating from Tennessee in May 2010 with a degree in enterprise management.

Reveiz was also a part of the preseason roster for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011, playing at linebacker and fullback through training camp and in all four preseason games. He also earned the NFL’s Bill Walsh Minority Defensive Intern position with the Los Angeles Rams in the summer of 2018.

Originally from Farragut, Tenn., Nick is married to the now Brittany Reveiz, and they have four children - Zeb, Zane, Zeal, and Zadie.




Friday, May 22, 2026

99 Days to WCU Football Kickoff

 

It's now 99 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2025, against the  Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days and get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season and more knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day. 

No Catamount player is currently assigned to #99 on the Spring Roster, so we will highlight a member of the Coaching Staff:  

Kerry Webb





Title 
Associate Head Coach / Special Teams Coordinator




Kerry Webb (pronounced "Curry") - 
Western Carolina special teams coordinator during the 2021 season, Kerry Webb reunited with Catamount head coach Kerwin Bell ahead of the 2025 season, returning to WCU's program after spending two seasons at Samford and one in Blacksburg, Va., at Virginia Tech. 

Ahead of spring practice in 2026, Webb was elevated to the title of Associate Head Coach by Bell.joined the Western Carolina football coaching staff in the spring of 2021, where he will serve as the special teams coordinator and coach the nickelbacks on defense.

Webb's collegiate coaching experience spans four different institutions, including Valdosta State, Tusculum, Jacksonville University, and the University of Florida, where he earned his start as a student video assistant. During his coaching career, Webb has coached 14 all-conference players, and his recruiting efforts led to the signing of two All-Americans and three players who progressed onto the NFL.

Webb came to Cullowhee after a couple of coaching stints at Valdosta State, starting as a graduate assistant in the mid-2000s and most recently, returning as the special teams coordinator and running backs coach from 2017-20. He was the program’s recruiting coordinator from 2019-2021 and was named interim head coach in January of 2019 during VSU’s coaching search.

Webb was a part of Kerwin Bell's staff on Valdosta State's 2018 undefeated season, winning the NCAA Division II National Championship. In 2019, VSU also won the Gulf South Conference title as it went 10-0 overall through the regular season and 8-0 in conference play. VSU finished the season 10-1 as it earned a berth in the NCAA Second Round.

Under Webb's guidance, 2018 VSU freshmen running backs Jamar Thompkins (first-team) and Seth McGill (second-team) both garnered All-Gulf South Conference honors. In addition, kicker Andrew Gray became the VSU Blazer all-time leading scorer while also being voted second-team All-Gulf South Conference. In 2019, Thompkins and McGill earned first-team all-conference honors, while kicker Fernando Ramirez earned second-team all-league accolades.

Before returning to Valdosta in 2017, Webb took a position at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., where he spent one year as the associate head coach and special teams coordinator while also coaching the wide receivers. Webb's direction helped produce first-team All-South Atlantic Conference honors for return specialist Jay Boyd in 2016.

On the back end of his time with the Blazers as a graduate assistant in the mid-2000's, Webb transitioned into his first full-time coaching position as a running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Jacksonville University under Bell.

Notable accomplishments throughout Webb's career include the guidance of the Jacksonville running backs in 2010, which led the Dolphins offense to a No. 1 ranking in the country. The squad nearly repeated the feat in 2013 with a No. 5 ranking, and the Dolphins ranked 3rd nationally in overall scoring during that same season. Webb also coached Jacksonville University's career all-time leading rusher Rudell Small and second all-time leading rusher Ulysses Bryant. He additionally coached the school's career all-time leader in kickoff return yards and average per return, Colby Walden.

A 2004 graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology, Webb earned his Master's degree in Education Health and Physical Education from Valdosta State in 2006.





Thursday, May 21, 2026

100 Days Until WCU Football Kickoff



Welcome to the sixteenth annual 100 day countdown to kickoff.    

We hope you have enjoyed the countdown in past years as much as we do bring it to you. During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. Since the official 2026 Catamount Football Roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2026 Catamount Spring Football Roster for jersey numbers, until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

-------------------------

It's now 100 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in EJ Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC

To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful a little more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day.

As is our custom, we'll kick off day #100 with the Catamount Head Football Coach Kerwin Bell.

Kerwin Bell
                                                    

Title: Head Football Coach
Hometown: Mayo, Fla
Alma Mater: University of Florida
Graduated: 1987

An accomplished player who worked his way from walk-on to All-American to the National Football League, and a 12-year veteran head coach who won a combined four conference championships and the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship, Kerwin Bell was named the 14th head football coach at Western Carolina University by Director of Athletics Alex Gary on April 27, 2021.

“We talk every day about Catamount Athletics having a winning mentality and the confidence to believe we can bring championships to our university,” said Gary. “Kerwin is a proven winner and has shown the ability to build successful programs. We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Cullowhee.”

Bell comes to Cullowhee having served as the offensive coordinator at the University of South Florida under head coach Charlie Strong in 2019. He most recently walked off the field as a head coach following the 2018 NCAA Division II national championship, leading the Valdosta State Blazers where he coached for three seasons, twice making playoff appearances.

“I am excited and honored to be named the new head football coach at Western Carolina University,” said Bell. “We are coming here to win championships on the field and help mentor the young men who are in our program. I am ready to get started building this into a championship program that the Catamount Nation can be proud of.”

Over a 12-year head coaching career, Bell led the football programs at Valdosta State (2016-18) and Jacksonville University (2007-15). He did this coming on the heels of a 13-year playing career in professional football that included several stops in the NFL and the Canadian Football League.

Bell served three seasons as the head coach at Valdosta State where he also guided the offense. He led the Blazers to a 27-7 record during his tenure including a school-record 15 straight victories, two Division II playoff appearances, and won both a conference and a national championship in 2018. He was named the 2018 Don Hansen NCAA Division II Co-Coach of the Year and the Gulf South Conference Co-Coach of the Year after leading VSU to a 14-0 record – the first unbeaten season in program history that included a thrilling 49-47 victory over Ferris State in the D-II National Championship game. Picked fifth in their conference in the preseason and the No. 3 seed entering the playoffs, the Blazers finished No. 1 nationally in the final AFCA Division II poll.

Bell’s 2018 offense led the nation in scoring (52.0 ppg), ranked second in first downs (341), and was fourth in total offense (523.9 ypg), red-zone offense (.901), and pass efficiency (167.37). The Blazers scored 728 points on the year, the most in NCAA Division II history, as they posted 7,334 yards (3,676 rushing/3,658 passing) and 7.9 yards per play on the year.

Within Bell’s system, VSU sophomore quarterback Rogan Wells finished as the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy, presented to the Division II Player of the Year, and was named both the Region Two and Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Wells accounted for 50 touchdowns on the year (including one receiving), led the nation in points responsible for (300), was second in passing touchdowns (38) and points responsible for per game (21.4 ppg), 10th in passing yards (3,075), 12th in passing efficiency (160.6) and 25th in total offense (271.9 ypg). He finished second on the team with 732 yards rushing and led the team with 11 rushing touchdowns.

Additionally, senior offensive linemen Jeremy King was the runner-up for the Gene Upshaw Award presented to the most outstanding Division II lineman.

Bell led VSU to runner-up conference finishes in his first two years guiding the program and went 8-3 with a playoff appearance in his first season at the helm in 2016 as the Blazers led the nation with 27 interceptions on defense.

Prior to Valdosta, Bell led Jacksonville University for nine seasons, guiding the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program to a 66-35 record and three Pioneer Football League (PFL) championships. Serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as well as head coach, Bell was named the 2008 PFL Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award after leading the Dolphins to a 9-4 seasonal record and conference title.

He also led Jacksonville to a school-best 10-1 record and conference championship in 2010 as the Dolphins led the nation in total (486 ypg) and scoring (42.2 ppg) offense. JU also posted a 9-2 overall mark and won a conference title in 2014.

Before taking over the Jacksonville program, Bell led Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Fla., for six seasons (2001-06), earning a Florida 2B state title in 2005 and runner-up finish in 2006. His coaching career began in earnest at the end of his professional playing career as he served as the offensive coordinator for two seasons while still a player for the Toronto Argonauts (2000-01).

Originally from Mayo, Fla., Bell was a quarterback at the University of Florida from 1983-87 where he completed over 57 percent of his 953 pass attempts for 7,585 yards and 56 touchdowns. A former walk-on, Bell concluded his collegiate career as the SEC Player of the Year in 1984 after leading Florida to a 9-1-1 record and a conference championship, and both a first-team All-SEC selection and All-America honorable mention in 1985, a season that saw the Gators earn the programs first-ever No. 1 national ranking in the Associated Press poll. Garnering a second honorable mention All-America honor in 1986, Bell was a 1987 team captain and earned the program’s Fergie Ferguson Award.

Bell was ranked the No. 26 Greatest Gator of all-time from the first 100 years of football at Florida in 2006 by The Gainesville Sun. Bell later served as a graduate assistant for the 1990 season under Steve Spurrier at Florida after earning a degree in psychology in 1987.

He was selected in the seventh round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, beginning his 13-year professional career that saw stops with the NFL teams in Miami, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Indianapolis as well as stops in the Canadian Football League, where he passed for 19,538 yards and 101 touchdowns in nine seasons, and the World League of American Football (WLAF).

Married in 1986 while both students at UF, Bell and his wife, Cosette, have three children: Kade, Kolton, and Kenzley.