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Veteran college football coach George Belu shifted career gears in 2001 when he joined the Cardinals’ scouting staff after closing out his coaching career at Ohio State University.
Belu, now in his sixth season with the Cardinals, scouts the midwestern and eastern part of the country. A 38-year coaching veteran, Belu broke into the football profession in 1965, and was the offensive coordinator at five schools and offensive line coach at six universities.
His coaching highlights include an 110 season and Tangerine Bowl appearance at Miami (Ohio) in 1973, a Big Eight Conference title and two bowl appearances at Colorado, an Orange Bowl trip at Louisiana State, an Atlantic Coast Conference (A.C.C.) championship at North Carolina State, an Aloha Bowl appearance at Wake Forest, and a bowl game at Ohio State.
His coaching pedigree was shaped by serving on the staffs of an impressive list of head coaches Jim Caldwell (Wake Forest), John Cooper (Ohio State), Bill Mallory (Indiana, Colorado, and Miami, Ohio.), Keith Piper (Denison), and Jerry Stovall (Louisiana State).
Belu ended his coaching career at Ohio State as offensive line coach for the Buckeyes in 2000 when they appeared in the Outback Bowl.
Prior to his stay at Ohio State, he was the running-game coordinator at Wake Forest from 1997-99 where the Demon Deacons’ rushing attack made the second biggest improvement in A.C.C. history, jumping from 65.4 yards per game in 1998 to 175.7 yards per outing in 1999.
Before landing at Wake Forest, Belu spent 13 seasons at Indiana as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The Hoosiers appeared in six postseason games (All-American Bowl, Copper Bowl, Independence Bowl, Liberty Bowl, Peach Bowl twice) during Belu’s tenure.
Belu’s lengthy stay at Indiana was preceded by stops at Louisiana State (1980-83), North Carolina State (1979), Colorado (1974-78), Miami (1973), and Denison (1968-72).
During Belu’s tenures, Louisiana State reached the Orange Bowl in 1982, N.C. State won the A.C.C. title in 1979, Colorado was co-champion of the Big Eight Conference in 1976 and earned bids to the Orange (1976) and Astro-Bluebonnet (1975) bowls, and Miami’s 110 squad won the Mid-American Conference championship and a berth in the Tangerine Bowl in 1973.
Belu, a Lorain, Ohio native who holds bachelors of science and masters in education from Ohio University, is a member of the Lorain Football Sports Hall of Fame.
He is married to his high school sweetheart Janet. They have two sons, David and Thomas, two daughters, Kathleen and Rebecca, and seven grandchildren. | 