Jon Bell, who has been at the helm of the Billikens' cross country and track and field programs for nearly two decades, has built Saint Louis University into a program that consistently succeeds at the conference, regional and national levels.
Bell was named head coach of both the cross country and track and field programs in 2008 after serving as interim head coach during the 2007-08 academic year. The track and field program was only in its second year when Bell assumed leadership, and under his guidance the Billikens have achieved numerous individual conference titles while advancing athletes to the NCAA Championships.
In recent years, Bell has guided Saint Louis to unprecedented success on the national stage. Toby Gillen became the program's first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships finalist when he advanced to the NCAA final in the 5,000 meters in 2022 and earned All-America honors. Samantha Kunza followed with a berth in the hammer throw at the 2023 NCAA Championships and earned All-America status. The back-to-back NCAA finals appearances by Gillen and Kunza were the first appearances in program history for men’s and women’s track and field.
Saint Louis student-athletes have become regular qualifiers for the NCAA West First Rounds under Bell's leadership. Billiken women have qualified in 30 events, while the men have qualified in 11 events. Overall, Saint Louis athletes have advanced to the NCAA Championships 14 times in the program's history. Most recently, Tristan Boatman qualified in the hammer throw and Madeline Rowold qualified in the javelin at the 2026 NCAA West First Rounds.
Bell has coached some of the most decorated student-athletes in school history, including three Billiken Hall of Fame inductees. Brittney Cloudy won a program-record eight conference championships during her career and was named the Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Field Performer at both the 2012 Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Margo Richardson captured four conference titles on the track and earned four All-Conference honors in cross country from 2010-13. Dahmar Smiles claimed conference crowns in the 110-meter hurdles in both 2010 and 2011.
The Billikens have enjoyed sustained success at the Atlantic 10 Championships under Bell's direction. The women's cross country recorded the highest finish in program history by placing third at the 2025 A-10 Championships, while the men's squad recorded the best conference finish in school history with a runner-up showing in 2021. Manuel De Backer became the first Billiken to win an Atlantic 10 individual cross country championship when he captured the conference title in 2017.
SLU’s track and field athletes have claimed numerous conference championships and major conference awards during Bell’s tenure. In women's indoor track and field, he has coached nine conference champions, highlighted by Cloudy's Most Outstanding Field Performer honor in 2012. On the men's side, eight Billikens have won indoor conference championships, while Gillen was named the Atlantic 10 Indoor Most Outstanding Track Performer in both 2022 and 2023.
In women's outdoor track and field, Bell has coached 11 conference champions. Cloudy earned Most Outstanding Field Performer honors at the 2012 Outdoor Championships, while Kunza's All-America performance in the hammer throw in 2024 marked a milestone for the program. The men's outdoor program has produced eight conference champions, with Gillen earning Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer honors in 2022 before becoming an All-American later that season.
In addition to athletic success, Bell places a strong emphasis on academic achievement. The Saint Louis men's and women's track and field teams are regular USTFCCCA NCAA Division I All-Academic Team honorees and annually rank among the conference leaders in academic performance.
Bell was named interim head coach of the Billikens in August 2007 and officially assumed the position the following summer.
Prior to Saint Louis, Bell served one year as an assistant track and field coach at Utah Valley State University. As recruiting coordinator, he assisted in all facets of the NCAA Division I program and worked with four student-athletes who broke school records and one who captured an NCAA Independent championship.
Bell was a graduate assistant coach at Emporia State University from 2003-05, where he coached two NCAA Division II All-American long jumpers and helped send 10 student-athletes to the NCAA Division II National Championships. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, St. Mary's University (Minn.), in 2002 and also served as head girls' track and field coach at Winona High School in 2003.
A 2002 graduate of St. Mary's with a bachelor's degree, Bell earned a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from Emporia State in 2005.
Away from the track, Bell is a noted endurance cyclist. In the summer of 2021, he completed the Trans Am Bike Race, a 4,200-mile self-supported race that follows the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail from Astoria, Oregon, to Yorktown, Virginia.
