Bellingham, WA – The Bellingham Bells are excited to announce the hiring of a new head coach and pitching coach for the 2025 season. Ed Knaggs has been named head coach of the Bellingham Bells, effective immediately. Bellingham Bells legendary coach Jim Clem will join Knaggs as Pitching Coach.

“Ed and Jim have been long-time friends, and they’ve always wondered if they’d have an opportunity to coach together,” Bells general manager Stephanie Morrell said. “The stars aligned for this opportunity, and as an organization, we really feel fortunate to have two Northwest baseball legends joining our staff. They are fantastic coaches and even better people. We know their impact on our players and the Whatcom County community will be large.”

Knaggs is no stranger to the West Coast League. He spent 13 seasons as the Head Coach of the Wenatchee AppleSox from 2001 – 2014, and five seasons as the Associate Head Coach of the Corvallis Knights from 2018 – 2019 and 2022 – 2024. 

“I am beyond thrilled that Ed Knaggs is joining the Bells,” Morrell said. “His experience in the league, coupled with his passion for developing players and coaches, made him a really attractive candidate. I have always known Ed to be high energy and high integrity; I’m really excited he’ll be joining our organization.” 

With the AppleSox, Knaggs posted a winning record every season. He led Wenatchee to five WCL championships (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012) and two runner-up finishes (2008, 2013).

Knaggs also won five division championships and earned WCL Coach of the Year honors four times at Wenatchee before retiring after the 2014 season. He coached 771 total games and was 300-172 (.636) in WCL regular-season contests. Wenatchee also won the 2003 Pacific International League title; that circuit was the precursor to the current WCL, which was formed in 2005.

During the time Knaggs spent in Corvallis as associate head coach, the Knights won four WCL titles.

“The opportunity to be part of the Bellingham Bells organization is exciting for me personally. I have always thought of the Bells as one of the premier teams in the WCL for players to develop,” Knaggs said. “I have been fortunate to spend the last six years with the Corvallis Knights and prior to that, the Wenatchee Applesox. The Bellingham Bells winning tradition starts with the leadership and work of owner Glenn Kirkpatrick and GM Stephanie Morrell. I look forward to working alongside Coach Clem to create an environment where players can continue their development and have a memorable summer baseball experience while being a team the enthusiastic and dedicated Bells fans can follow.”

Knaggs played at College of the Canyons under former USC and UC Irvine coach Mike Gillespie, and at UC Irvine under Steve Hertz. He was an assistant coach at Gonzaga under Hertz for seven years before moving to Wenatchee to become the head coach at Wenatchee High School from 1991-2011. He also assisted with the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod League for one season.

Knaggs works for BSN Sports and lives in Los Angeles, California.

A household name for most Bellingham Bells fans, Jim Clem joined the Bells in 2011 as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator on Coach Gary Hatch’s staff. Throughout the years, Coach Clem has been a constant force for the Bells, remaining in place as pitching coach for eleven seasons and working with six head coaches during that time. Clem’s pitching staffs were consistently among the league’s best, with numerous pitchers over the years being named to all-league teams and two (Seth Martinez – 2014, Eric Chavarria – 2021) being named WCL Pitcher of the Year. 

“I’m so excited to be back in the Bells organization,” Clem said. “They are such great people to work with. My years with the Bells have all been special for me, full of so many positive experiences. Sometimes you just never know what doors might open for you, but when presented with the opportunity to come back, it felt like the timing was perfect. So, a new chapter begins…This time around, I’m especially excited to join forces with this staff and my longtime friend Ed Knaggs. I can’t wait to get started.”

In September 2022, Clem was named the Bells head coach and led the 2023 Bells to a 37-19 record and an appearance in the West Coast League North Division title game. Clem stepped away from the Bells during the 2024 season to focus on family. He was called out of retirement by Knaggs and will serve as the Bells pitching coach during the 2025 season.

“Jim Clem is part of our Bells family, always has been and always will be,” Morrell said. “He’s extremely supportive of our entire organization, and we all keep in touch with him regardless of whether not he’s on our staff or not. When Jim left at the end of the 2023 season, I think we all knew that could be it for him in a Bells uniform, but the fact that this opportunity presented itself is really special and unique. We’re thrilled for Jim to be back with us in the pitching coach role.”

The Bells will be announcing the remainder of the coaching staff in the coming months.