Teddy Bridgewater caps first year as Northwestern coach with state title; what’s next?
Teddy Bridgewater zipped up his blue hoodie halfway covering his face as the rain began to fall on Saturday night at Pitbull Stadium.
The weather didn’t stop him from breaking into a little dance on the sideline as the final seconds ticked away in the Class 3A state championship game.
The 32-year old Miami Northwestern alum - a year after retiring from being an NFL quarterback - returned to his alma mater as a first-time head coach in February with a goal of restoring his school’s rich football tradition.
Mission accomplished.
The Bulls were state champions again - for the ninth time overall and first time since 2019 - following a 41-0 victory over Jacksonville Raines, which capped one of the most dominant playoff runs in recent memory.
Bridgewater guided the Bulls to a renaissance, going from a 4-6 non-playoff season in 2023 to a state title in just one season.
“I’m very excited especially in year one being able to get it with this staff, I wouldn’t want it to happen with anyone else,” Bridgewater said. “These guys put in the hours. Sometimes, I’ve been kind of an (expletive) with them…excuse my language…but they accepted the challenge and we’re champions now.”
Bridgewater was a sophomore in high school in 2008 when he first became the starting quarterback for Northwestern. He left the field in Orlando 16 years ago with a much different feeling following a painful 28-21 loss to Sanford Seminole in a state championship game loss that denied the Bulls a three-peat.
Bridgewater didn’t appear in a state final again during his high school career.
On Saturday night, Bridgewater was back in a state final, this time as a head coach.
His contributions on the road back came on the Bulls’ sideline, in their locker room, on their practice field and in the same hallways at Northwestern he walked as a student-athlete not so long ago.
“This (experience) taught me patience,” Bridgewater said. “When you’re working with 14-year olds, 15, 16, 17-year olds and coming from the NFL, you have to remember, they might not get it on the first try. They might not get it on the second, third or fourth or fifth try. But if you stay patient with them and really teach them the why for everything, the rest will take care of itself.”
But Bridgwater’s debut season as coach wasn’t without challenges.
There were early losses to Venice, Miami Norland and Miami Central (prior to the Rockets’ forfeiting the game due to an ineligible player).
And there was the investigation by the Florida High School Athletic Association into an alleged use of an ineligible player by Northwestern just before the playoffs began.
This prompted Bridgewater to take to social media in recent weeks and openly cast doubt he would remain the Bulls coach beyond this season and perhaps consider a return to the NFL.
Bridgewater posted on his X account in late November: “So many QB jobs available for me after we make this state title run. I can’t wait to return back to the NFL.”
But on Saturday, Bridgewater told the Miami Herald he intended to remain the Bulls coach.
“Yeah, I’ll be back to work on Monday morning,” Bridgewater said. “I really enjoyed this season.”
Should he remain as Northwestern’s coach, Bridgewater has several key underclassmen and juniors set to return as well for a chance to run it back next season, not to mention any potential additions to the roster.
Northwestern starting quarterback Leon Strawder is one of those juniors, who credit Bridgewater for having a profound impact on their development during his debut season.
Strawder, who threw for four touchdown passes and ran for another in Saturday’s win, wrapped up one of the best seasons ever by a Bulls quarterback, evoking memories of some of the school’s greats at the position like Bridgewater and Jacory Harris.
“Coach Teddy is a great man and he gave everybody an opportunity,” Strawder said. “He brought us all together and created a brotherhood.”
Others include sophomore wide receiver Nicholas Lennear, who caught four passes for 121 yards and a touchdown and had an interception on defense.
And running back Elijah Hardy, who ran for a touchdown and caught a 65-yard touchdown pass.
“He brought joy and brought back faith in the team,” Lennear said. “Ever since he came he talked to us not just about football, but about being young men. I love him and he did a lot for us. We made a way to keep a team together and Coach Teddy was a big part of that.”
