DEKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University softball head coach Christina Sutcliffe announced the hiring of Mickey Bell to her coaching staff on Friday.
 
"NIU has a shining new star to add to its pedigree of Huskies," Sutcliffe said. "In our long and thorough search, we have found the right fit for our culture and program needs. Mickey brings in a depth and breadth of experience and readiness to learn. We look forward to watching her grow and take our offense to a new level."
 
Bell, a graduate of Florida Atlantic, comes to NIU after spending the previous two seasons as a volunteer assistant at her alma mater.
 
"I am super grateful to coach Sut [Sutcliffe] and the NIU Administration for this opportunity to join the Huskie pack," Bell said. "I'm looking forward to working with the athletes and helping out the program any way possible."
 
A three-year letterwinner at catcher for the Owls, Bell focused on catcher development while assisting with the pitching staff during her two years on Joan Joyce's staff.
 
Prior to her return to Boca Raton, Bell spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois. During her tenure at EIU, she helped develop Panther catchers and worked closely with the outfielders as well. Bell also assisted in daily bullpen sessions and hitter development.
 
Bell enjoyed a successful playing career, first at Lipscomb before transferring to Florida Atlantic. A member of the ASUN All-Freshman Team, she also earned ASUN Academic honors as well. Bell earned the C-USA Commissioner's Award all three years with Florida Atlantic. She helped lead the Owls to back-to-back C-USA regular season titles in 2015 and 2016 and a conference tournament championship in 2016.
 
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