On February 12, 2010, Warren Belin walked into Athens with a very clear idea of what mattered. He had just been hired days earlier by Mark Richt at Georgia after eight years at Vanderbilt. He called himself “the lucky one to be a part of this great program.” Now, 16 years later, the football world is mourning as he succumbed to his fight with pancreatic cancer at 58. And one of the most emotional tributes came from Clark Lea.

“There has never been a more important time to be a coach than right now. And today we lost a great one in Warren Belin,” Clark Lea said in a sentimental statement on X. “His Life was a reminder of what this profession demands to serve others and to lead with purpose. Coach B did that every day. I experienced his impact as a player at Vanderbilt, and benefitted from his Kindness early in my Coaching journey. He made sure I was taken care of and gave his time freely. That was who he was.”

Warren Belin’s career path shows a coach constantly moving but it was the relationships he maintained along the way. His longest stretch came at Vanderbilt from 2002 to 2009 where he coached LBs for eight seasons, two years coordinating special teams, and eventually taking over recruiting. That’s where Clark Lea experienced his leadership when he played for the Commodores from 2002 to 2004. 

Belin coached Hunter Hillenmeyer to a nation-leading 168 tackles in 2002. He then helped develop Jonathan Goff into an NFL draft pick. And in 2008, he was part of the staff that delivered a Music City Bowl win. Years later, in 2016, Clark Lea stepped into a similar LB coaching role at Wake Forest, Belin’s alma mater and another place where he coached from 2013-2016. 

“You never had to question what mattered to him – his faith, his family, his integrity,” Lea added. “Because of that, his impact was lasting. There is no doubt he has now found his eternal home. His life reflected what he believed. On behalf of Vanderbilt Football, I offer the Belin family and all who loved him my deepest condolences to and to those honored to carry the title ‘Coach,’ may we strive to represent it with the same honesty and dignity that Coach Belin did.”

Warren Belin’s coaching record held up whenever he went. At Georgia in 2010, he coached Akeem Dent to All-SEC honors after a 126-tackle season who was later picked in the third round of the NFL Draft. Then came the jump to the Carolina Panthers, where Belin coached LBs from 2011 to 2012. In 2011, James Anderson recorded a franchise-record 174 tackles. The next season, rookie Luke Kuechly put up NFL-best 165 tackles. 

Before and after that, Warren Belin kept developing talent. At Wake Forest, he coached Brandon Chubb to All-ACC recognition and worked with Marquel Lee, who went on to become an NFL draft pick. Wherever he went, LBs improved. But he didn’t fast-track his way through the profession. His path began from scratch through SMU, William & Mary, Cornell, and ETSU. 

And before all that, he was a player at Wake Forest from 1987 to 1990, finishing with 236 tackles in 30 starts. Even earlier, he helped Forest Hills High School win a state championship in North Carolina. He had a major football impact. 

Warren Belin’s final fight that came with an award  

Last November, Warren Belin was named the 2025 Pete Moffitt Courage Award recipient at Wake Forest. By then, he was battling Stage Four pancreatic cancer. His response to the honor sounded like everything people had said about him for decades.

“I am deeply grateful and humbled to be selected as the 2025 recipient of the Pete Moffitt Courage Award,” he said. “My sincere thanks go to the Moffitt family and Wake Forest Athletics for this special honor. At first, I hesitated to accept the nomination, as I never wanted this recognition to be about me.”

Then, he explained why he accepted it and that’s to raise awareness for early cancer screening and to encourage others facing their own battles. He talked about 33 years in coaching, about relationships, and about purpose.

“Through all of life’s challenges, my ultimate goal has remained the same,” he added. “To let God’s light shine through me, to reflect His love, and to approach both football and life’s daily struggles with a positive mindset and a greater purpose – to be a true Champion in Life.”

Warren Belin’s career spanned decades, programs, and levels of football. But his real legacy is in those small moments that Clark Lea hinted at. He was the coach who was present. RIP Coach Belin.