Football
Bridge, Jim
Jim Bridge
- Title:
- Assistant Coach / Offensive Line
- Email:
- football@memphis.edu
- Phone:
- 901-678-5119
Jim Bridge is in his third season as Memphis football's offensive line coach. He was named to the position in January of 2020.
In 2022, Bridge helped guide the Tigers to a 38-10 victory over Utah State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Memphis finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in fewest penalties (53), 21st in passing offense (279.2) and 22nd in scoring offense (35.3).
In 2021, Bridge helped the Tigers to the program’s eighth-straight bowl appearance, as the team was named EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl champions after Hawai’i withdrew from the game.
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On the year, Memphis ranked 16th in the nation in passing offense (298.8) and 38th in total offense (434.9). On the year, the Tigers posted 400 or more total yards on offense seven times, including 680 in the win at Arkansas State and 614 at Tulsa.
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Dylan Parham established himself as one of the best offensive linemen not only in the AAC, but in the nation in 2021, earning First-Team All-AAC accolades. He started all 12 games for the Tigers at right guard, not allowing a single sack in 545 pass protection snaps. In total, Parham only allowed two quarterback hits on the year.
In his first season in 2020, Bridge and his unit helped the Memphis offense thrive, as the team ranked 22nd in the nation in total offense (453.1) and also finished the year ranked 17th in both passing offense (307.9) and first down offense (260).
On the year, Memphis totaled five games with over 500 yards of total offense, including an incredible 703 total yards against UCF on Oct. 17. The Tigers set a school-record, coming back from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to earn the 50-49 win. The 703 total yards of offense was the fifth-most in Memphis history.
Bridge spent four seasons from 2016-19 on head coach David Cutcliffe's staff at Duke, where he served in the same role as offensive line coach the last two campaigns (2018-19). In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Bridge oversaw the team's tight ends and also coordinated Duke's special teams unit.
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"Jim is considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the country," Tiger coach Ryan Silverfield said at the time of his hiring. "He is a coach who gets the most out of his players in every way. He is a teacher that comes from the same offensive line coaching background and shares the same philosophies as me. His coaching experience includes 14 years in the ACC and four in the Big Ten. Â
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"Jim creates wonderful and meaningful relationships with his young men, and they play extremely hard for him and succeed on and off the field."
As the Blue Devils' offensive line coach, Bridge revamped the unit the last two seasons. In 2019, he coached a line that had three new starters from the previous season, including two freshmen. Bridge's line blocked for an offense that returned only three skill position starters in 2019. Duke had first-year starters at quarterback, tight end and two of its three wide receivers.
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The Blue Devils ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in sacks allowed and 15th nationally in TFL allowed. Specifically, Bridge mentored center Jack Wohlabaugh to All-ACC honorable mention status after the junior helped block for an offense that averaged 329.7 yards per game and produced 37 total touchdowns.
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Bridge saw his two freshmen offensive tackles, Casey Holman and Jacob Monk, named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-American Midseason Watch List and The Athletic's Midseason Freshman All-America team, respectively. The offensive line was named to the Midseason Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football in 2019.
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In the 2018 campaign, Bridge guided a group that provided pass protection for a Duke aerial attack that featured a program season-record 31 touchdown passes. The offensive line allowed Duke to close the year as one of four ACC teams to compile 2,000 or more rushing yards and 3,100 or more passing yards (Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia Tech). The line surrendered an average of 5.85 TFL per game, nearly one fewer per contest than the squad surrendered in 2017 (6.69).
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The improvements that Bridge made along the offensive line helped the Blue Devils produce 382 points, the fourth most for a season in program history. The offense totaled 40 or more points in five games and tied the 1943 and 2014 squads for the most 40-point plus games in a campaign in program history. Bridge's unit also assisted in producing three 200-200 outings as the Blue Devils posted 200 or more rushing and 200 or more passing yards versus N.C. Central, Pittsburgh and North Carolina.
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Bridge worked with the tight ends and special teams in 2017. Duke boasted three tight ends — Davis Koppenhaver (3), Noah Gray (2) and Daniel Helm (2) — with multiple receiving touchdowns. Helm and Koppenhaver were critical pieces in the passing attack, hauling in 22 and 17 passes, respectively. On the special teams front, Duke ranked among the ACC's top five in field goals (t3rd), kickoff coverage (4th), field goal percentage (4th) and kickoff returns (5th).
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Following the 2017 regular season, Bridge transitioned to coaching the offensive line in preparation for the Quick Lane Bowl match-up against Northern Illinois. In the 36-14 victory over the Huskies, the offensive front committed zero penalties and paved the way for 465 yards of total offense. Quarterback Daniel Jones, the bowl game's Most Valuable Player, threw for 252 yards and two scores, and the rushing attack produced 213 yards and scoring runs by Jones, Brittain Brown and Shaun Wilson.
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In 2016, Bridge helped Duke tight ends Erich Schneider (30-269-3), Helm (21-235-2) and Koppenhaver (17-157-2) combine for 68 receptions, 661 yards and seven touchdowns. Schneider finished third on the squad with 30 catches, and his three touchdowns tied for the squad lead. Schneider became the first tight end to top the Blue Devils in scoring receptions since Andy Roland in 2004. Koppenhaver provided the game-winning points against No. 15 North Carolina, hauling in a Jones third-down pass from two yards out in the third quarter as Duke posted a 28-27 victory, and Helm brought in two touchdown passes at Georgia Tech. Of Jones' final 11 touchdown passes that year, five were thrown to tight ends. Schneider and Helm combined to give Duke the fifth-most receptions by a Blue Devils tight end duo (51) in a season.
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On special teams, Bridge's unit finished third in the ACC in kickoff return average (24.55), despite three-time All-America kickoff returner DeVon Edwards suffering a career-ending injury in the fourth game of the season. In Edwards' place, Shaun Wilson averaged 24.97 yards per return, the fourth-best mark in the league. Duke's kickoff return defense also ranked fourth in the league (18.67) while punt returner Ryan Smith finished tied for fifth in the ACC with 20 runbacks and seventh in average, 8.90.
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Bridge joined the Duke staff following three seasons (2013-15) as the offensive line coach at Purdue.
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Prior to his stint at Purdue, Bridge spent six seasons (2007-12) at N.C. State, where he helped the Wolfpack to a 40-35 overall record with four bowl game appearances (2008 Papajohns.com, 2010 Champs Sports, 2011 Belk and 2012 Music City). Bridge coached the Wolfpack tight ends in his first four seasons, before transitioning to the offensive line for his final two campaigns. He mentored four All-ACC selections in his tenure, including tight end George Bryan (2009-10), guard R.J. Mattes (2012) and center Camden Wentz (2012).
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Bridge served four seasons (2003-04-05-06) at Boston College mentoring the tight ends. In Bridge's four seasons in Chestnut Hill, Mass., the Eagles compiled an overall ledger of 36-14 and earned four straight bowl game berths (2003 Diamond Walnut San Francisco, 2004 Continental Tire, 2005 MPC Computers and 2006 Meineke Car Care). In addition, Boston College finished all four years ranked in the final Associated Press national poll with rankings of No. 21 in 2004, No. 18 in 2005, No. 20 in 2006 and No. 10 in 2007.
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Bridge also spent time on the staffs at Bowling Green (1992-93 --graduate assistant coach); (2000 -- assistant coach/TE);Â Virginia (1994-95 -- graduate assistant coach);Â The Citadel (1996-99Â -- assistant coach/OL); Ohio State (2001 -- graduate assistant coach); and Eastern Michigan (2002 -- assistant coach/OL).
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A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bridge lettered as a tight end at Wittenberg University before graduating in 1992. He later earned a master's degree from Bowling Green in sports administration in 1994. He is married to the former Andrea Bitterman of Buffalo, N.Y., and the couple has four children: Anna Claire, Ryan, Maggie and Jack.
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Bridge At A Glance
Coaching Experience
Bowl Coaching Experience
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In 2022, Bridge helped guide the Tigers to a 38-10 victory over Utah State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Memphis finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in fewest penalties (53), 21st in passing offense (279.2) and 22nd in scoring offense (35.3).
In 2021, Bridge helped the Tigers to the program’s eighth-straight bowl appearance, as the team was named EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl champions after Hawai’i withdrew from the game.
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On the year, Memphis ranked 16th in the nation in passing offense (298.8) and 38th in total offense (434.9). On the year, the Tigers posted 400 or more total yards on offense seven times, including 680 in the win at Arkansas State and 614 at Tulsa.
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Dylan Parham established himself as one of the best offensive linemen not only in the AAC, but in the nation in 2021, earning First-Team All-AAC accolades. He started all 12 games for the Tigers at right guard, not allowing a single sack in 545 pass protection snaps. In total, Parham only allowed two quarterback hits on the year.
In his first season in 2020, Bridge and his unit helped the Memphis offense thrive, as the team ranked 22nd in the nation in total offense (453.1) and also finished the year ranked 17th in both passing offense (307.9) and first down offense (260).
On the year, Memphis totaled five games with over 500 yards of total offense, including an incredible 703 total yards against UCF on Oct. 17. The Tigers set a school-record, coming back from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to earn the 50-49 win. The 703 total yards of offense was the fifth-most in Memphis history.
Bridge spent four seasons from 2016-19 on head coach David Cutcliffe's staff at Duke, where he served in the same role as offensive line coach the last two campaigns (2018-19). In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Bridge oversaw the team's tight ends and also coordinated Duke's special teams unit.
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"Jim is considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the country," Tiger coach Ryan Silverfield said at the time of his hiring. "He is a coach who gets the most out of his players in every way. He is a teacher that comes from the same offensive line coaching background and shares the same philosophies as me. His coaching experience includes 14 years in the ACC and four in the Big Ten. Â
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"Jim creates wonderful and meaningful relationships with his young men, and they play extremely hard for him and succeed on and off the field."
As the Blue Devils' offensive line coach, Bridge revamped the unit the last two seasons. In 2019, he coached a line that had three new starters from the previous season, including two freshmen. Bridge's line blocked for an offense that returned only three skill position starters in 2019. Duke had first-year starters at quarterback, tight end and two of its three wide receivers.
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The Blue Devils ranked fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in sacks allowed and 15th nationally in TFL allowed. Specifically, Bridge mentored center Jack Wohlabaugh to All-ACC honorable mention status after the junior helped block for an offense that averaged 329.7 yards per game and produced 37 total touchdowns.
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Bridge saw his two freshmen offensive tackles, Casey Holman and Jacob Monk, named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-American Midseason Watch List and The Athletic's Midseason Freshman All-America team, respectively. The offensive line was named to the Midseason Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football in 2019.
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In the 2018 campaign, Bridge guided a group that provided pass protection for a Duke aerial attack that featured a program season-record 31 touchdown passes. The offensive line allowed Duke to close the year as one of four ACC teams to compile 2,000 or more rushing yards and 3,100 or more passing yards (Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia Tech). The line surrendered an average of 5.85 TFL per game, nearly one fewer per contest than the squad surrendered in 2017 (6.69).
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The improvements that Bridge made along the offensive line helped the Blue Devils produce 382 points, the fourth most for a season in program history. The offense totaled 40 or more points in five games and tied the 1943 and 2014 squads for the most 40-point plus games in a campaign in program history. Bridge's unit also assisted in producing three 200-200 outings as the Blue Devils posted 200 or more rushing and 200 or more passing yards versus N.C. Central, Pittsburgh and North Carolina.
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Bridge worked with the tight ends and special teams in 2017. Duke boasted three tight ends — Davis Koppenhaver (3), Noah Gray (2) and Daniel Helm (2) — with multiple receiving touchdowns. Helm and Koppenhaver were critical pieces in the passing attack, hauling in 22 and 17 passes, respectively. On the special teams front, Duke ranked among the ACC's top five in field goals (t3rd), kickoff coverage (4th), field goal percentage (4th) and kickoff returns (5th).
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Following the 2017 regular season, Bridge transitioned to coaching the offensive line in preparation for the Quick Lane Bowl match-up against Northern Illinois. In the 36-14 victory over the Huskies, the offensive front committed zero penalties and paved the way for 465 yards of total offense. Quarterback Daniel Jones, the bowl game's Most Valuable Player, threw for 252 yards and two scores, and the rushing attack produced 213 yards and scoring runs by Jones, Brittain Brown and Shaun Wilson.
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In 2016, Bridge helped Duke tight ends Erich Schneider (30-269-3), Helm (21-235-2) and Koppenhaver (17-157-2) combine for 68 receptions, 661 yards and seven touchdowns. Schneider finished third on the squad with 30 catches, and his three touchdowns tied for the squad lead. Schneider became the first tight end to top the Blue Devils in scoring receptions since Andy Roland in 2004. Koppenhaver provided the game-winning points against No. 15 North Carolina, hauling in a Jones third-down pass from two yards out in the third quarter as Duke posted a 28-27 victory, and Helm brought in two touchdown passes at Georgia Tech. Of Jones' final 11 touchdown passes that year, five were thrown to tight ends. Schneider and Helm combined to give Duke the fifth-most receptions by a Blue Devils tight end duo (51) in a season.
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On special teams, Bridge's unit finished third in the ACC in kickoff return average (24.55), despite three-time All-America kickoff returner DeVon Edwards suffering a career-ending injury in the fourth game of the season. In Edwards' place, Shaun Wilson averaged 24.97 yards per return, the fourth-best mark in the league. Duke's kickoff return defense also ranked fourth in the league (18.67) while punt returner Ryan Smith finished tied for fifth in the ACC with 20 runbacks and seventh in average, 8.90.
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Bridge joined the Duke staff following three seasons (2013-15) as the offensive line coach at Purdue.
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Prior to his stint at Purdue, Bridge spent six seasons (2007-12) at N.C. State, where he helped the Wolfpack to a 40-35 overall record with four bowl game appearances (2008 Papajohns.com, 2010 Champs Sports, 2011 Belk and 2012 Music City). Bridge coached the Wolfpack tight ends in his first four seasons, before transitioning to the offensive line for his final two campaigns. He mentored four All-ACC selections in his tenure, including tight end George Bryan (2009-10), guard R.J. Mattes (2012) and center Camden Wentz (2012).
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Bridge served four seasons (2003-04-05-06) at Boston College mentoring the tight ends. In Bridge's four seasons in Chestnut Hill, Mass., the Eagles compiled an overall ledger of 36-14 and earned four straight bowl game berths (2003 Diamond Walnut San Francisco, 2004 Continental Tire, 2005 MPC Computers and 2006 Meineke Car Care). In addition, Boston College finished all four years ranked in the final Associated Press national poll with rankings of No. 21 in 2004, No. 18 in 2005, No. 20 in 2006 and No. 10 in 2007.
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Bridge also spent time on the staffs at Bowling Green (1992-93 --graduate assistant coach); (2000 -- assistant coach/TE);Â Virginia (1994-95 -- graduate assistant coach);Â The Citadel (1996-99Â -- assistant coach/OL); Ohio State (2001 -- graduate assistant coach); and Eastern Michigan (2002 -- assistant coach/OL).
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A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bridge lettered as a tight end at Wittenberg University before graduating in 1992. He later earned a master's degree from Bowling Green in sports administration in 1994. He is married to the former Andrea Bitterman of Buffalo, N.Y., and the couple has four children: Anna Claire, Ryan, Maggie and Jack.
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Bridge At A Glance
| Alma Mater | Wittenberg University, 1992 Bowling Green State University, 1994 |
| Playing Experience | Wittenberg University (1988-92) Lettered as a tight end |
| Family | Wife - Andrea Children - Anna Claire, Ryan, Maggie and Jack |
Coaching Experience
| Bowling Green State University | Graduate Assistant (1992-93) Assistant Coach, Tight Ends (2000) |
| University of Virginia | Graduate Assistant (1994-95) |
| The Citadel | Assistant Coach, Offensive Line (1996-99) |
| Ohio State University | Graduate Assistant (2001) |
| Eastern Michigan University | Assistant Coach, Offensive Line (2002) |
| Boston College | Assistant Coach, Tight Ends (2003-06) |
| North Carolina State University | Assistant Coach, Tight Ends (2007-10) Assistant Coach, Offensive Line (2011-12) |
| Purdue University | Assistant Coach, Offensive Line (2013-15) |
| Duke University | Assistant Coach, Tight Ends (2016-17) Assistant Coach, Offensive Line (2018-19) |
| University of Memphis | Assistant Coach, Offensive Line (2020-Present) |
Bowl Coaching Experience
| 1992 | Las Vegas Bowl |
| 1994 | Independence Bowl |
| 1995 | Peach Bowl |
| 2001 | Outback Bowl |
| 2003 | San Francisco Bowl |
| 2004 | Continental Tire Bowl |
| 2005 | MPC Computers Bowl |
| 2006 | Meineke Car Care Bowl |
| 2008 | PapaJohns.com Bowl |
| 2010 | Champs Sports Bowl |
| 2011 | Belk Bowl |
| 2012 | Music City Bowl |
| 2017 | Quick Lane Bowl |
| 2018 | Independence Bowl |
| 2020 | Montgomery Bowl |
| 2021 | EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl |
| 2022 | SERVPRO First Responder Bowl |
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