Miami– NFL veteran quarterback and Miami Northwestern High School head football coach Teddy Bridgewater, informed players and parents of the South Florida high school football powerhouse this afternoon around 4:20 PM that he would not be returning to coach but instead returning to the National Football League. Bridgewater was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Several sources confirmed the news that was first reported by The Portal 305 and publisher, Antwon Wimberly. This comes after an interesting month that shinned a national spotlight on the program, stemming from Bridgewater’s own post on his personal Facebook page calling into question the school’s athletic department finances.
He wrote in great detail (in now deleted posts) about the money he used from his own personal finances to fund various football program needs and help student-athletes. Next, he appealed to the greater Miami Northwestern community to support the program and listed his own non-profit as the receiving vehicle for the earmarked funds.
The response was mixed internally but from the outside world, Bridgewater was heralded as someone who was truly an altruistic figure and one to be lauded for his selfless acts to benefit his high school alma mater. Shortly after the public declarations were made by the former head coach, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) reached out to the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC), the governing body of all Miami-Dade Public School athletic programs, to seek information about Bridgewater’s posts and its claims.
Of particular note were the “Uber rides” Bridgewater outlined for player transportation. While no formal sanctions have been brought up against Miami Northwestern, it is deemed impermissible to provide transportation for players and could be considered a recruiting violation, a source confirms. An Orlando private school football program, The First Academy, found this out during the 2024 season as they were turned in for impermissible benefits including uber rides and sanctioned by the FHSAA, receiving a playoff ban.
The paperwork referenced above is the required paperwork any school board contractor is required to fill out in order to work in association with a public school in the county. By his own admission, Bridgewater did not return required paperwork to the school board and was not a formal head coach, a stunning admission to most.
This is the context his social media posts were based on. Bridgewater claimed that school officials went to the district to have him fired. Something he said they couldn’t do because he was in fact, not even an employee at all.
Besides the obvious pandora’s box the comment opened, Bridgewater was establishing that he could not be controlled by any entity. However, his desire to coach may outweigh his resistance to a formal agreement to coach on paper.
As recently as this past Friday, a source confirmed to Football Hotbed that Bridgewater was seen at the district offices of Miami-Dade Public Schools seeking to fill out the proper paperwork to formally be considered a coach. “I will return to coaching based upon my schedule flexibility,” seems to indicate he’s considering coaching as he did in times past as a member of an NFL roster. He did this during his stint with the hometown Miami Dolphins.
Even last season, just after winning a state championship, Bridgewater remarkably returned to the Detroit Lions and played very well in a playoff game as a backup quarterback. Keeping himself in playing shape during a high school football season where he served as a head coach is quite remarkable as many commentators noted.
Breaking: NFL veteran Teddy Bridgewater informs his players that he will return to the NFL and not come back as their HSFB coach this season. The former Miami Northwestern (Miami, FL) Head Coach won a state championship in his first year. @ThePortal305 first reported. pic.twitter.com/AT1hK6ulPg
— Brandon Odoi (@Brandon_Odoi) August 4, 2025
On the field, Bridgewater’s impact was tremendous. He led a team that finished a paltry 4-6 in 2023 to a 12-2 record on the field in 2024 (the 10/4 loss to Miami Central was later ruled a win due to forefeet because of an ineligible player) including a district, region and state championship.
In five playoff games, Bridgewater’s squad gave up only 12 points to one team (Naples Lely) and held everyone else scoreless, including state championship game opponent and interstate rival Jacksonville Raines.
Bridgewater left open the possibility of returning to coach, something that players would obviously welcome. His time at the helm of the program was successful by all accounts.
During his public posts on socials, Bridgewater called out officials affiliated with the school’s athletic programs. Among them were Larry Williams, chairman of the Board of the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association. The 30-year board member Williams told Football Hotbed that any insinuations that he misappropriated funds would have to be met with “facts.”
He spoke in length with Football Hotbed last week.
Bulls already moving forward
The Miami Northwestern Bulls football program had already begun to move forward prior to today’s news. At Saturday’s 4th Annual Football Hotbed Media Day, the team arrived with interim head coach Jaquatin Victrum known as ‘Coach Q” and were united and excited about the upcoming season. Victrum is also a Miami Northwestern alum and played his college football at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. During his sophomore year, he played with Bridgewater at Miami Northwestern.
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