Teddy Bridgewater coaches alma mater Miami Northwestern in title game
Former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was on the field coaching Miami Northwestern in the Class 3A high school state championship.
Former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been suspended as the head football coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High School, Bridgewater confirmed on social media on July 13.
The suspension comes less than a week after Bridgewater detailed in a Facebook post, in which he was asking for donations for the program, that he spent $2,200 per week to feed his players pregame meals, $14,000 to conduct a training camp, $9,500 for uniforms, $1,300 a week for recovery services for players, $300 a week to keep the team’s field painted and $700 for Uber rides.
Bridgewater alleged that administrators at Northwestern “want me gone apparently.”
“The suspension came from MNW and it’s impossible to suspend someone who doesn’t work for you,” Bridgewater wrote. “So if im suspended from MNW im free to go to another school of my choice but IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE. And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem.”
The Florida High School Athletic Association confirmed to USA TODAY that it sent the allegation of impermissible benefits to Miami Northwestern and is “communicating with the school to gather information.” FHSAA rules state that “no school employee, athletic department staff member, or representative of a school’s athletic interests…may form, direct, offer, provide, or otherwise engage in any activity outlined” in the organization’s bylaw governing amateurism and name, image and likeness.
In his first season as head coach, the 32-year-old Bridgewater led Miami Northwestern to a Class 3A state championship in Florida, with the Bulls winning each of their playoff games by at least 40 points.
A former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, Bridgewater played in the NFL for 10 seasons, from 2014-23, before retiring after the 2023 season. He briefly came out of retirement to join his former team, the Detroit Lions, late last December for their final two regular-season games and their divisional round playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. He resumed his role as Miami Northwestern’s coach shortly after that run.
Bridgewater finished his NFL career with 15,120 passing yards, 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions while completing 66.4% of his passes. He was a Pro Bowler in 2015 after leading the Vikings to the playoffs, but suffered a catastrophic knee injury during a preseason practice in 2016 that nearly required his leg to be amputated and altered the trajectory of his career.
