Newly-appointed Gannon men’s basketball coach Jordan Fee has added a second assistant coach to his coaching staff. After recently adding Easton Bazzolli to his initial staff Fee has now announced Myo Baxter-Bell as a second assistant.
Baxter-Bell joins the Golden Knight staff after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Liberty since June 2021. Prior to that the native of Dayton, Ohio played for the Flames from 2015-20. He spent a year playing professionally in Argentina before rejoining the Liberty program as a member of the coaching staff in June 2021. His primary role was daily on-court individual player development, player mentorship, film analysis and program support.
“Myo is the perfect fit for Gannon basketball. He has the passion for developing young men on and off the court which fits with our vision here at Gannon,” related Fee. “His regional connections after a storied high school career at Chaminade Julienne (Dayton, Ohio) will only further our ties with the Buckeye State. Myo has a rare gift to relate with human beings on so many levels. His basketball IQ is exceptional and he’s a natural coach. The interest in this position was enormous but Myo had been the priority since the beginning and I’m thrilled to have our guy on board.”
Baxter-Bell looks forward to helping return Gannon basketball to its winning ways. “I am so excited to be here at Gannon University,” exclaimed Baxter-Bell. “I want to say thank you to Coach Fee and Easton Bazzolli for this opportunity. I couldn’t have imagined a better situation. I’m thankful for a place that I can help build a championship culture. I hope to build lifelong friendships while also pursuing a championship.
Baxter-Bell has enjoyed great success as a player and coach. During his four-year stint as a player the 6-foot 5-inch, 255 lb. forward accumulated 900 points, 384 rebounds, and 173 assists, all in the top 40 in program history. He appeared in 141 games at Liberty.
He was a part of two ASUN championship teams (2019 and 2020) earning berths in the NCAA Tournament. Baxter-Bell and Liberty won 29 games in 2019 and defeated No. 5 seed Mississippi State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Baxter-Bell scored a season-high 13 points in that first round game. In 2020, the Flames won a program-record 30 games while losing only four times.
That success continued as a member of head coach Ritchie McKay’s staff. In 2022-22 Liberty posted a 22-11 record, reaching the ASUN semifinals. The season included a 66-45 win over Missouri. Last year the Flames were 27-9. They would lose by a point to Kennesaw State, 67-66, in the ASUN Championship Game, then go on top appear in the NIT. Liberty handed Villanova a 62-57 defeat in the opening round before falling to Wisconsin, 75-71, in the second round.
McKay, the head coach at Liberty since 2015, expects Baxter-Bell to make an immediate impact at Gannon “Myo is an outstanding hire!,” he commented. “He was an integral part of our growth as a player and a coach! His impact inside the walls of the Gannon program will be significant. Coach Fee is building something very special in Erie!
Baxter-Bell earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management from Liberty in 2019 and completed work on his Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Liberty in 2023.
https://gannonsports.com/news/2023/5/9/baxter-bell-joins-mens-basketball-coaching-staff.aspx
