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Report: Detroit QB Teddy Bridgewater to be named head coach at high school alma mater, Miami Northwestern

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•02/02/24•

SamraSource

Teddy Bridgewater
© Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Teddy Bridgewater announced he’d retire from the NFL after the conclusion of the Detroit Lions’ campaign, as he looked to enter the coaching world.

Well, that seems to be exactly what the former Louisville Cardinals star and NFL veteran quarterback has done. Bridgewater has reportedly been named the head coach at his high school alma mater of Miami Northwestern in South Florida, according to The Portal 305 and Sports Illustrated.

“Bridgewater announced back in the fall that he would be retiring after the season, whenever it ended, and he planned to step into the shoes of the coaching world,” wrote Andy Villamarzo of Sports Illustrated. “Many believed that would be down in South Florida, where he first established himself as a future NFL star.

“Now, those beliefs have turned into reality as Bridgewater has been reportedly named the new head football coach at Miami Northwestern High School, his alma mater, per The Portal 305.”

Moreover, Al Butler of The Miami Herald confirmed the news, posting on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Bridgewater was at a news conference to introduce him as the coach on Friday.

That’s fantastic news for a player who has some much insight to give to the next generation of football players. Bridgewater has been around the block a few times, and can provide a fascinating perspective for all types of athletes.

While it was painful to watch his team lose in the NFC Championship Game, Teddy Bridgewater can now move towards his next chapter, and that’s leading his alma mater to immense success in the coming seasons.

More on Teddy Bridgewater, NFL

Moreover, Teddy Bridgewater was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. After an injury derailed his time with the team, he’s bounced around the league, playing for the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins before taking his talents to Detroit. 

While the injury changed the course of his career, it also provided Bridgewater with the perspective that he still utilizes each and every day.

“When I got hurt, I realized that I’m only a football player for three hours on a Sunday afternoon,” Bridgewater said, via The Detroit Free Press earlier this season. “Outside of that, I’m Theodore Bridgewater, so it just put everything into perspective, and it really helped me not even have to think about not being a starter [anymore]. It’s like, ‘Man, I still got purpose.’ And my purpose is bigger than the game of football. Football is just a platform that I have.”

While he didn’t start in 2023, Bridgewater was still thankful for his place on the Lions, believing that he played a pivotal role on a team who made a nice run in the playoffs. As he finally hangs up his cleats, Bridgewater has been planning on coaching high school football over the last couple of months, and focusing on being a father to his two sons.

“Everyone sees the wins and losses, and it’s the small victories, the daily victories that take place in this locker room,” he told The Detroit Free Press. “You talk about a team that is young, quick to run to their phones after practice, after games, and you see guys like mingling and just having conversations. Pingpong, card table, cornhole. Guys sitting on the couch. Like, that’s what it’s about. 

“That’s the league that I came into, and I’m happy that I get to just see and be a part of this great locker room.”

Teddy Bridgewater’s unique perspective will help him as he moves on to the next chapter of his football journey, back at a place where it all began for the former Louisville star.