Amir Bell has joined the Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball program as special assistant to the head coach, following a notable collegiate and international playing career. Bell’s appointment was announced by Kyle Smith, the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball.
“We are so grateful to have Amir Bell join our staff,” said Smith. “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 graduated from Princeton in 2018 after playing for the Tigers from 2014-18. During his time there, he earned recognition as the 2018 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead Princeton to the 2017 Ivy League Championship. He finished his college career with 1,043 points and 313 assists.
After college, Bell played professionally for seven seasons in several countries including Italy, Malaysia, Germany, Poland, and Cyprus. His achievements include being named to the 2020 Asia-Basket.com All-ASEAN League second team, earning Polish League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024, receiving first team accolades in Cyprus in 2025 from Eurobasket.com Cypriot OPAP Basketball, and being named Finals MVP for AEK Larnaca during their championship run in Cyprus.
Smith noted Bell’s experience with successful basketball programs: “Amir played for Mitch Henderson in one of the most tradition rich programs in college basketball,” he said. “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 will be working alongside Brett MacConnell on Stanford’s coaching staff; MacConnell was previously an assistant coach at Princeton during Bell’s tenure as 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 his playing career, Bell founded BrunswickGrassroots—an organization focused on elite basketball training for players at various levels.
