In 2008, the Milford Football Team won The Division II State Championship, Jed Bell was not a member of that team. Bell graduated the previous year in 2007, but many of his former teammates were on that team. The important item to take away from this, is to understand is that 2008 did not occur in a vacuum. That team was built on the foundation of players that bought into the program that coach Mike Tkach managed, one of the cornerstone players was Bell, who also played baseball and even tried his hand at basketball during his time as a Buccaneer.
A three year varsity letter winner as a tight end and defensive lineman, two time 1st team All-Conference and one time 3rd team All-State and a Blue-Gold participant, Bell was also a captain of a program that since 1974 people had mostly laughed at. When Bell graduated people weren’t laughing anymore, in no small part due to the work, example and pride Bell and his teammates demonstrated.
When asked about his favorite memories of playing for Milford, his response indicated just how much the program was changing while he was there.
“Sharing a huddle with a group of guys from varying backgrounds, but knowing you’d do anything to support them – that’s the beauty of the game – and it’s what you can take with you forward in life,” Bell said. “Those memories have fueled my ability to still connect with people from all walks of life and find ways to always lead and respect them. Football specific moments – our 7-3 season my sophomore year – our first winning season since 1974 – was amazing. Beating Caesar Rodney on Homecoming my senior year – our first victory over them since 1972 – those were very special because so much work went into creating a team and program that was respected – not just in the hallways of our school, but throughout the community and across the state.”
When asked about being part of the turnaround of the Milford program and the title it resulted in, Bell remained humble.
“That was such a special run for those guys in 2008. There was a lot of pride associated watching from afar because so many guys on that team were former teammates who I grew up with, got to watch grow up, and forged great relationships with that are still in place to this day. I will never forget Coach Tkach calling me the morning after they won the championship and thanking me,” Bell said. “He told me that that special moment would not have been possible without our sacrifices and efforts years earlier. That really meant a lot to me and I think it speaks to the man Coach Tkach is and the family environment that he created which really lead us to levels of success Milford Football hadn’t experienced for quite some time.”
Following graduation from Milford, Bell would earn his Bachelors Degree in Special Education from Methodist University and go on to earn his Masters in School Leadership from Wilmington University. He is currently working on his Doctorate in District Administration.
Bell would apply his leadership skills into teaching and coaching, starting with his time at Woodbridge. An assistant coach on their 2016 and 2018 Championship teams. Bell would eventually become the head coach at Woodbridge, garnering 2019 Henlopen Conference Coach of The Year honors, leading his team to the State title game. In 2020 Woodbridge would be state semi-finalists.
When asked about his time at Woodbridge, Bell stated “I will be forever grateful for my time at Woodbridge serving the school and the community. We did some really special things there, turning a program around, winning multiple state titles and making deep playoff runs. Just so many amazing kids and coaches who positively impacted my life.”
Bell continued.
“Ed Manlove was the perfect head coach to serve under as he really trusted us to coach our kids hard and get the most out of them. The kids bought in and grew addicted to feeling of winning, but more importantly the process to put yourself in a position to win,” Bell said. “I just feel so fortunate – in ten years there I had the chance to coach groups of kids and experience levels of success that some coaches may never get the opportunity to experience. There were highs, lows, tragedies, and triumphs, but through it all our group stuck together – and we still do to this day!”
When asked about the mentors in his life, Bell was forthcoming.
“There are so many people who positively influenced my academic and athletic careers along the way. First and foremost, my mother who sacrificed so much on the behalf of my brother and I.She found a way to make sure we had every opportunity possible, while also holding us accountable and to a high standard,” Bell said. “In terms of coaches, Mike Tkach and John Nichols were without question some of the biggest influences in my playing career. They served as father figures for me and honestly still do to this day. Maintaining my strong relationship with both of them almost twenty years post-high means so much to me and also speaks to who they are as men. They were always there for me when I needed them the most, and I can’t begin to tell you how much influence they had on me beyond my playing days as a coach, father, and school leader.”
Bell would move over to Milford and coach for two years, producing a 10-10 record prior to moving into administration and stepping away from coaching. Bell recently accepted the Assistant Principal position at Cape Henlopen High School. A difficult decision, which he took time to reflect on.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue growing as a leader while prioritizing the remainder of my career in educational leadership, and more importantly my wife, Elise, and two daughters, Peyton and Logan. Cape is a special place with high-level leaders that I will be able to take a great deal away from. At the end of the day, the chance to serve, connect with, and create opportunities for students is a privilege and a major responsibility that I don’t take lightly,” Bell said. “I am proud of the work we did at Milford in terms of creating a strong culture rooted in student connections. The opportunity came at the same time of some changes at the high school, and I felt like it was the best career decision for myself and my family. I’ll be forever grateful to Milford and look forward to maintaining the strong relationships and support of the community that I’ve been fortunate to develop and serve over my time here.”
Bell lives in Milton with family.
