Is Teddy Bridgewater out at Miami Northwestern? What we know, and don't know, so far

Miami Northwestern head coach and former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater posted a cryptic message on Facebook late Sunday night, insinuating his alma mater has suspended him and is actively looking for his replacement following an FHSAA probe into impermissible benefits.

Administrator of Public Relations Kelvin Richardson confirmed with USA TODAY on July 14 that the FHSAA's compliance and eligibility department officially sent the allegation to Miami Northwestern, and is "communicating with the school to gather information," with no official timeline set.

"Got a phone call tonight and it’s no real investigation going on," Bridgewater posted on Sunday night. "I told you I have to be an employee to be investigated."

The alleged suspension comes in the wake of Facebook post from Bridgewater a week earlier where asked for help fundraising for the program, and revealed he personally paid for players' Uber rides and meals on a weekly basis — actions that could be considered impermissible benefits by the FHSAA.

The FHSAA said they had received an allegation against Miami Northwestern on July 10, three days after Bridgewater's post, and began looking into the issue. By July 14, Miami Northwestern was formally notified of the allegations and the FHSAA began a probe.

Bridgewater's latest post calls into question the legitimacy of his suspension. He wrote that Northwestern can't suspend him because he is not a formal employee of the school. He added that regardless of his official position, he'll support the Bulls from afar.

"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," he ended the post with.

Is Teddy Bridgewater suspended as Miami Northwestern head coach?

As of time of publishing, the answer is unclear. Bridgewater himself qualified the suspension by saying "IF I'm suspended from (Northwestern) I'm free to go to another school of my choice but I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE."

USA TODAY's Florida Network spoke with administrators at Northwestern multiple times on Monday, and the school was not prepared to give a statement or confirm the status of Bridgewater's position at the school.

Yahoo and Rivals report that Bridgewater is suspended, but neither reports confirm this with the school nor Bridgewater himself outside of the Facebook post. He did not reply to several attempt for comment from USA TODAY's Florida Network.

Why is Teddy Bridgewater in trouble?

Miami Northwestern head coach Teddy Bridgewater talks to media following the team's win over Raines in the Class 3A state championship at Florida International University on Dec. 14, 2024.

Bridgewater's July 7 post drew immediate comparisons to The First Academy's violations last November, when the Orlando-area private school was found guilty of providing impermissible benefits nearly identical to what Bridgewater shared on Facebook, including four Royals players receiving a free lunch and one player receiving a free Uber ride.

When the investigation concluded, The First Academy was handed a two-year postseason ban, a $36,000 fine, and had eight wins forfeited from the 2024 season. The length of the suspension was later overturned, and the players sat out one game.

Bridgewater's post outlining everything he personally paid for align very closely with what The First Academy was found guilty of. He specifically noted, "From daily uber rides, to feeding the boys MLK ($1500 a week) every morning following our morning training sessions to feeding the boys catered pasta during the season, to pride sets, to training camp - I cover ALL THE EXPENSES."

He also included weekly costs for Ubers ($700), recovery trucks ($1,300), pre-game meals ($2,200), along with one-time purchases like pride sets for his players ($9,500) and training camp ($14,000).

If found to be true, the FHSAA may find Bridgewater and to be in violation Policy 36, the FHSAA's guidelines on athletic recruiting.

Has the FHSAA opened an official investigation into Teddy Bridgewater and Northwestern?

As of July 14, FHSAA has not confirmed an official investigation into the allegations against Northwestern. But for all intents and purposes, an investigation of some kind, official or not, is underway in Tallahassee.

The FHSAA received allegations against Northwestern last week and confirmed with USA TODAY's Florida Network that they began looking into the issue by the next day.

Following Bridgewater's post on Sunday night, the FHSAA did not to confirm what specific allegations have been levied against Northwestern. A statement from the FHSAA's Compliance and Eligibility office by way of Richardson to USA TODAY's Florida Network read as follow:

I have confirmed that we have officially sent the allegation to Miami Northwestern and are communicating with the school to gather information. I don’t have an official timeline of when this will conclude but I will be sure to keep you updated.

Is Miami Northwestern replacing Teddy Bridgewater as head coach?

Jan 1, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) warms up before the start of the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Bridgewater alleges so. In his post on Sunday night, he said that Northwestern administrators want him out and tried to hire a friend of his as a replacement, but his friend sided with Bridgewater.

"Verne and his (Administrative) homeboys want me gone apparently and tried to hire one of my dawgs like bro wasn’t gone lace me up," he shared on Facebook.

Has Miami Northwestern officially announced anything?

USA TODAY's Florida Network spoke with Northwestern administrators twice on Monday. Both times, the school suggested that a representative would be available for comment.

Yet as of time of publishing, no Northwestern official was able to confirm Bridgewater's suspension, whether or not the school self-reported the violations like Bridgewater suggested, if a formal investigation is underway, or on the nature of the specific allegations the FHSAA has notified them of.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is Teddy Bridgewater out at Miami Northwestern? What we know, and don't know, so far