GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Calvin University football program announced several changes to the defensive coaching staff for the 2025 season on Thursday.
 
Lamar Bell has been promoted to defensive coordinator, while the Knights also announced the hire of new linebackers coach Daniel Packard.
 
Bell fills the defensive coordinator position previously held by Josh Lawson, who left the program following the 2024 season to become the head football coach at Bethel College (Kan.).
 
A member of the Calvin defensive coaching staff since January of 2024, Bell served as the team's defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator last season. He will continue to be the program's defensive backs coach along with his coordinator duties.
 
Bell has previous coordinator experience prior to his Calvin tenure after serving in that role at Greenville College (Ill.) from 2017-23. At Greenville, Bell's defenses led the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference in both total defense and scoring defense in each of his final three seasons.
 
"I am excited for coach Bell to move into the role as our defensive coordinator," Calvin head football coach Trent Figg said." "Coach Bell is an incredible teacher and has a proven track record as a defensive coordinator. The defenses that he has led have always been known for their attacking mentality and ability to create turnovers and cause chaos for the opposing offenses. Coach Bell has been a great addition to our staff over the past 12 months and I am excited for him to lead our defense as we build upon our success from year one. We are blessed to have coach Bell!"
 
Along with Bell's promotion, the Knights also hired Packard to serve as the program's linebackers coach.
 
Packard, a native of Dallas, Texas, comes to Calvin after spending 2024 working with the defensive tackle group at Yale University, where he coached a pair of all-conference players.
 
Prior to his season at Yale, Packard coached two seasons (2022-23) as the outside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at North Central College (Ill.) and helped that program to a 29-1 record and two appearances in the NCAA III national championship game (the program won the 2022 national title). He also coached linebackers for two seasons at his alma mater, Hendrix College (Ark.), from 2020-21.
 
Packard played football at Hendrix before a career-ending injury led to the start of his career in coaching. Packard earned his B.A. from Hendrix in Economics & Business and Psychology, and then earned his MBA from North Central College.
 
"I feel like we hit a home run with the hire of coach Packard," Figg said. "He played Division III football as an athlete, has been a part of two Division III national championships as a coach at North Central and he is coming to us from Yale. Coach Packard is a proven teacher and developer of young men, and I am excited for him to take our linebackers to another level in their development both on and off the field" 
 
Packard is excited to get started with the Knights as they build towards their second season in 2025.
 
"I'm so excited to join the Calvin University football program and community," Packard said. "Coach Figg has created an elite culture centered around faith, family, and football."