Led the top defense in the American Conference in 2025

TAMPA, FLA., DEC. 9, 2025 – South Florida Football Head Coach Brian Hartline made his first addition to his first USF coaching staff Tuesday, when he named Josh Aldridge as the Bulls defensive coordinator.

Aldridge comes to South Florida after one season at East Carolina in which he led the Pirates defense to finishing atop the American Conference in seven categories. ECU led the league in total defense (348.8 ypg), scoring defense (20.3 ppg), rushing defense (120.3 ypg), red zone defense (.714), third down defense (.302), sacks (2.50 sgp) and tackles for loss (7.8 tpg)–ranking 4^th nationally is sacks, 7^th in redzone defense and 13^th in third down defense. ECU also ranked second in The American in first down defense (226) and fumble recoveries (10) and third in total turnovers gained (19) as Aldridge led 2025 first-team all-conference selections in safety Ja'Marley Riddle and defensive tackle Zion Wilson

"Josh Aldridge led the top defense in the American Conference this season and has built a reputation for producing aggressive, physical and relentlessly attacking units," Hartline said. "Josh will be an exceptional leader and mentor for our players, and I'm thrilled to welcome him and his family to Bulls Nation."

A William V. Campbell Trophy Award semifinalist during his playing days at Harding University, Aldridge arrived at ECU after serving as linebackers coach at Auburn for two seasons (-2023 & 2024).

Aldridge also spent four seasons as a defensive coach at Liberty (2019-22), including serving as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2022. He was the Flames' defensive line coach his first three seasons before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator shortly after the 2021 season in which he was a Broyles Award nominee as one of the nation's top assistant coaches.

Aldridge's 2022 Liberty defense ranked first nationally in tackles for loss (9.3 tpg), third in sacks (3.46), 14^th in turnovers gained (24), 15th in passes intercepted, 19th in third down defense and 25th in first down defense. Defensive end Durrell Johnson led the nation in tackles for loss (22.5) and was tied for third in the country in fumbles recovered (3). Aldridge also served as interim head coach in Liberty's appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Liberty finished the 2021 season ranked No. 6 in the country in passing yards allowed (180.3 per game), No. 11 in red zone defense (72.5 percent), total defense (320.2 yards allowed per game), No. 14 in tackles for loss (7.1 per game), No. 24 in scoring defense (21.5 points allowed per game) and No. 28 in sacks (2.85 per game).

Under Aldridge's tutelage, Johnson made an immediate impact during his first season at Liberty in 2020 and was named to the Phil Steele All-America fourth team. Johnson led the Flames with 11.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks. Jessie Lemonier, another Aldridge product, finished his two-year career at Liberty with 20.5 sacks, which ranked third among FBS players nationally in total sacks recorded during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns.

Aldridge came to Liberty after serving as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Lenoir-Rhyne during the 2018 season. The Bears posted a 12-2 record and ranked No. 1 in the country in turnovers caused and No. 9 in scoring defense, while advancing to the NCAA Division II Super Region 2 finals.

Prior to leading Lenoir-Rhyne's defense, Aldridge served as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at West Georgia (2014-17).

Aldridge helped West Georgia to three NCAA Division II playoff appearances (2014, 2015, and 2017), back-to-back 12-win seasons, two NCAA Division II Super Region 2 titles (2014 and 2015) and a Gulf South Conference crown in 2015.

A native of Jackson, Tennessee, Aldridge graduated from Harding University in 2012 with a degree in social sciences, where he was a four-year letterwinner and a two-time All-Great American Conference honoree.
He and his wife, Jessica, have two children, Braxton and Nora.

Up Next
South Florida (9-3; 6-2 American) will look to capture a third straight bowl win for just the second time in program history when it takes on Old Dominion (9-3; 6-2 Sun Belt) in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl on Dec. 17 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Tickets start at $25 plus fees and are currently on sale. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets to the game using this LINK.

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ABOUT USF FOOTBALL
The USF football program first took the field in 1997 and completed its 28th season in 2024 with its second-straight bowl victory in the Hawai'i Bowl. The Bulls earned a third straight bowl appearance in 2025 and the program's first College Football Playoff ranking. USF completed construction on a new $22-million Indoor Performance Facility in 2023 and a $349-million on-campus stadium and football operations center broke ground in the fall of 2024 and is slated for completion by 2027. The Bulls have posted 18 winning seasons, earned 16 All-America selections (including two consensus selections, the last coming in 2021), as well as 35 first-team all-conference honorees. USF has had 30 players selected in the NFL Draft and the Bulls have made 12 bowl game appearances (going 8-4), posting a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010 and making four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18. USF posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016, while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25. USF spent a program-record 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns and reached as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press rankings during the 2007 season.