Bill Plott | For AHSAA
Montgomery – Emmanuel Bell, a longtime women’s basketball coach at Wenona High School, was well known and preferred by the Alabama High School basketball circle. Perhaps more people know him as a “tab” than Emmanuel. It was a nickname he picked up for his love of giving and accepting a hug.
Bell, best known for her way of greeting and winning as a women’s basketball coach, is one of 12 individuals to be inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame on Monday, March 10th at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center. The banquet is deceased at 6pm and Bell’s daughter Ashlie Bell will represent her dad at the induction ceremony.
Wenona High School was in the blood of Emmanuel “Tub” Bell from the beginning. A graduate of Birmingham High School in 1973, he went to college at Lane University in Tennessee to graduate from a full soccer scholarship in 1976.
After graduating from college, he spent many years in the Northeast where he met his wife, Julia Elmore. In 1992 he returned to Birmingham and accepted his position as basketball coach at Jones Valley Middle School, compiling a 49-9 record.
In 1996 he accepted the position of women’s head basketball coach at his alma mater, Wenona High School. Over the next 20 years, he produced extraordinary records. The Lady Dragons have won five state championships, including titles for the second time in a row. They also finished second time. He compiled a record of 530-194.
He had nine teams in the Final 4 and coached Class 6A State Player of the Year in 2004 and Class 5A Player of the Year in 2016. He was recognized nationally by Max Preps and was inducted into the Wenonana Hall of Fame.
In his 23 years at Wenonana, Bell has won 20 wins, earning 20 wins, over 30 wins and over 20 wins. He coached 28 All-State and All-Tournament players in his career.
“More importantly, Coach Bell has instilled core values in his players, highlighting academic achievement, discipline and teamwork. Everything is crucial to the overall development of the athlete,” said Wenona Principal Regina Kerr Hope.
In the fall of 2024, the Birmingham Athletic Partnership created a new award in his memory. YER Award Coach Emmanuel “Tubb” Bell recognizes coaches from the Birmingham School System central or high school.
“We had a lot of great coaches we’ve worked with over the years, and Coach Bell was certainly one of the best,” said BAP founder Edgar Welden. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to honor many great coaches in his name.”
“What really stood out for Coach Bell was his ability to connect with and lift his players,” said Henry C. Pope, athletic director at the city of Birmingham school. “He looked beyond their athletic ability and emphasized character development, academic success and life skills. For Coach Bell, basketball was a way to help his athletes achieve their full potential on and off the court. His coaching has resulted in dozens of his players winning university scholarships, and many others have become leaders in their community.”
The Pope said Bell’s legacy is far beyond his victory and title.
“He was a champion of integrity, resilience and positivity. His love for his game, his players, and his community was evident in all the actions he took,” the Pope said. “His impact is so deep that even after his death in 2019, his impact continues to be felt throughout Birmingham and the wider Alabama basketball community.”
The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame presented the Frank “Pig” House Award in 2017. The award, named after the chairman of the first ASHOF board, is “recognized by anyone who has performed outstanding service to sports at Bell, Alabama.
He played a major role in actively developing and promoting women’s basketball throughout Birmingham, Jefferson County and the state. He founded the Alabama Road Runners team that participated in the American Athletic Union Basketball. It was recognized as a Nike grassroots program for 10 years. He also founded Birmingham Power, a professional women’s basketball team.
He was on the Usher Committee of the Olive Missionary Baptist Church.
In 2016, he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Accepting the motto of “faith not fear, not fear,” he continued to coach while he was in treatment, leading the Lady Dragons to the fifth state championship in 2017, inspiring everyone who knew him.
Coach Bell passed away in 2019 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
The third installment of a 12-part series featuring the 2025 Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame classes
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