Remembering Rahsaan Bell
Former local football standout/coach impacted and inspired so many
The world lost a great coach and human being as Rahsaan Bell passed away after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
The 42-year-old Bell was many things to many people. He was a successful quarterback at Wichita Falls High School whose skill set translated to the next level. Bell’s completion percentage of 62.5 is the second-best in Midwestern State history and his 4,097 passing yards are the fifth-most.
But numbers don’t tell Bell’s impact. Bell was a longtime Hirschi coach who mentored hundreds of kids and inspired his family, friends and acquaintances who followed his courageous battle.
Bell left Wichita Falls before the new schools opened, joining Eric Ward’s staff at Lubbock Estacado where he was the offensive coordinator. But Wichita Falls was always his home, and he was loved by so many here.
“The impact he made on not only me but everybody he came across is indescribable,” former Hirschi coach Logan Parrish wrote on Facebook. “He fought a good fight, and he will live on in every single kid he mentored and cared for over the years.”
“One of the most genuine, down to Earth people I have ever met,” wrote former WFHS offensive coordinator Jason Reynolds, who worked with Bell briefly during the transition to Legacy. “You can tell when someone is authentic and he was as real as they come.”
“I will always appreciate you for being there with me every step of the way,” former Hirschi running back Daimarqua Foster posted. “I will never forget them deep 1 on 1 talks we had. It’s always been more than just football with us.”
My buddy Jonathan Hull, who first wrote about Bell’s fight in this 2023 story, knew the Wichitan well and summed up Bell’s impact best in a Red River Roundup Facebook post:
This man taught us how to fight.
This man taught us how to persevere.
This man looked death in the face and said, “Nah. It ain’t gonna be that easy!”
This man taught us how to live.
This man didn’t lose the fight with cancer. He kicked cancer in the teeth. The fight only ended cause God called him home.
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Thank you for your example on how to live in the face of adversity, not just for your friends and family, but for hundreds of young athletes who witnessed first-hand your passion for teaching them.
I hope those boys realize the choice you made. You could have easily said, “I can’t.” No one would have blamed you. You didn’t HAVE to coach while fighting this battle. You CHOSE to coach.
This man showed us how to display REAL love.
I will miss you, Rahsaan Bell.