USF defensive coordinator Josh Aldridge was supposed to become a lawyer. That was his plan. But as he wound down his playing days at NCAA Division II Harding University in Arkansas, where he won a national championship as a playmaking defensive end, the focus changed.
He traded the courtroom for the football field.
"I quickly figured out that just because you're good in school doesn't mean you like school,'' Aldridge said with a laugh. "I didn't want to go to law school. I really wanted to do something I was passionate about. That was leading people and raising them up. That was coaching. Staying in football was definitely my passion.''
And that has definitely showed.
Aldridge, 36, has done every job and filled every role imaginable, but he has been on the fast track — becoming a defensive coordinator in his mid-20s, serving as interim head coach for a bowl game, coaching linebackers in the SEC, then his one-year transformation of East Carolina's defense into the American Conference's most dominant unit.
That resume impressed Brian Hartline, who became USF's head coach in December.
Hartline's first call went to Aldridge.
"I knew of Josh and didn't yet (personally) know him, but I had so many contacts that spoke very highly of him,'' Hartline said. "Once we talked, I quickly discovered that he was well-organized, very articulate, a coach with high expectations, a guy with a lot of presence about him. Obviously, his familiarity with the American Conference was a major plus.
"Getting to know the person, that was the last box to check. We connected very well and I believe we're going to have a great working relationship. I believe he is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country and I'm just glad he's here at USF.''
At ECU last season, Aldridge's Pirate defense led the American in seven categories — total defense (348.8 yards per game), scoring defense (20.3), rushing defense (120.3), red-zone defense (71.4 percent, seventh nationally), third-down defense (30.2 percent, 13th nationally), sacks (2.5 per game, fourth nationally) and tackles for a loss (7.8 per game).
ECU also ranked second in first-down defense (2.26 yards per play) and fumble recoveries (10), plus third in total turnovers gained (19).
It was a continuation of Aldridge's well-established track record.
At Liberty University, where Aldridge served as co-defensive coordinator, his 2022 Flames led the nation in tackles for a loss (9.3 per game) and were third in sacks (3.46 per game). Defensive end Durrell Johnson led the nation in tackles for a loss (22.5). In 2021, the Flames were sixth nationally in passing yards allowed (180.3), 11th in red-zone defense (72.5 percent) and 11th in total defense (320.2 yards per game).
At NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne, where Aldridge served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, the Bears led the nation in turnovers caused and were ninth in scoring defense.
Aldridge's defenses make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks while consistently creating turnovers.
The philosophy can be described in one word:
Attack!
"If you're going to do things like getting after the quarterback, taking the ball away (with turnovers) and TFLs (tackles for a loss), you better emphasize that all the time,'' said Aldridge, who was nominated for the Broyles Award (nation's best assistant coach) in 2021. "If you emphasize it, you have a better chance of doing it right. It has to be the way you live every single day. I'm not a big goal guy. I'm more of a standards guy.
"In today's day and age, with all the points that are scored, I don't think you can just line up in a stagnant defense and expect to be successful. You've got to create different looks for quarterbacks and offensive linemen. That's why we've had success. Our guys have put in the time and worked on things over time. We want to be complicated for the (opposing) offense, but simple for us. That comes with practice and repetition. And that's what it takes to be successful on defense.''
Aldridge has generally employed a 4-2-5 formation with an emphasis on athletic ability, football IQ and chemistry. He's also seeking a personality characteristic that he describes as a "high care factor.''
"We work too hard not to care, right?'' said Aldridge, who began his coaching career on the staffs of Lindenwood, Ouachita Baptist and West Georgia before being hired by Hugh Freeze at Liberty University. "I want selfless players. I think humility is measured not by thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. That makes for a great teammate and most of the time guys like that are also great players.
"If you want individual accolades, it's easier to get them when you play on a good team. When you realize you can get your individual goals by emphasizing the collective goals, that's when it starts to work. By caring about the team and your teammates first … that's where it starts.''
Aldridge said his Division II experience comes in handy because it has been historically commonplace to transfer schools at that level, so he's accustomed to remaking rosters on the fly and incorporating new players. He hardly ever talks to the unit about his playing days at Harding, but there's a pattern that developed. He was never the biggest or fastest, but he constantly sought advantages by studying the game and finding different methods. He wants the same for his players instead of solely relying on "the God-given advantages they have athletically.''
Play well by playing smart.
"We talk about making full-speed decisions,'' Aldridge said. "We need to play fast. That comes from confidence — from our players and coaches — and we teach the game. If we prepare well, we'll play fast. If we prepare well, we'll be confident. The bottom line is confidence comes through preparation.
"Go make a full-speed decision. Don't worry about screwing up. If we're approaching it that way, whether we're playing three down (linemen) or four down, whether we're playing zone or man, that's all out the window. It's effort, our preparation and our attention to detail. That's what I want to see.''
Statistically, Aldridge said he values a collective category that doesn't really exist. He calls it "Havoc.''
"Bottom line, we want to create havoc,'' Aldridge said. "That's a TFL (tackle for a loss), a sack, a PBU (pass break-up), an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. We want to be over 25-percent with those over the course of a game. If we do all those things, we'll probably win.
"I'm more about the process and standards than I am the goals. We don't talk about holding people to this many yards or getting this number of takeaways. If you focus on the steps, the goals will take care of themselves. We want to limit explosives and prevent explosives. We talk about tips (passes) and overthrows. All of those things add up.''
Aldridge also adds up his varied experiences at all levels of college football. There has been value at each stop.
"I've worked with a lot of great people in my career, whether I've learned leadership, scheme or even both,'' Aldridge said. "There are very few original ideas. It's more how you want to massage those and the timing of when to use them. But I think all of it has prepared for this moment.
"I watched nearly every bowl practice (for the Cure Bowl), even though I wasn't part of that staff. I met with every single defensive player and told all of them, 'I'm not here to cut you or replace you. I'm not looking to blow this thing up and start from scratch. I did come here to elevate it. I'm excited about the guys we do have here and see no ceiling on what this program can accomplish.''
With a nod to Aldridge's one-time legal ambitions, he never wants USF's defense to rest.
-#GoBulls-
