Josh Aldridge

Aldridge was born on October 13, 1989, in Jackson, Tennessee.[1] He attended Jackson Christian School where he was a starter in football for three years.[1] As a junior, he helped them win the Class 1A State Championship while being named all-state and the Region 8-1A Defensive Player of the Year, after posting 141 tackles and nine sacks.[1][2][3] He was recruited by several NCAA Division I football schools, including Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and Abilene Christian,[3] but ended up attending Division II Harding.[1]

As a true freshman at Harding in 2008, Aldridge redshirted.[1] He became a starter as a sophomore in 2009, appearing in 11 games at defensive end and recording 35 tackles, including 6.5 for-loss, placing second on the team.[1] In his collegiate debut, he posted eight tackles against Missouri Southern.[1]

As a junior in 2010, Aldridge started nine games, missing only one, and tallied 25 tackles, 6.0 for-loss, and 4.5 sacks.[1] He also blocked a field goal and recorded his first career interception that season.[1] After posting two strip sacks and four tackles (including three for-loss) in Harding's upset of North Alabama on November 13, Aldridge was named national Division II player of the week.[4]

Aldridge started all 11 games in his senior year, 2011, and recorded 45 tackles, a conference-leading 7.5 sacks, a team-leading 12.5 TFLs, and two forced fumbles.[1] He also blocked one kick, being named second-team All-Great American Conference (GAC) at the end of the year.[1] He graduated in 2012 with a degree in social sciences,[5] and was a finalist[6] for the William V. Campbell Trophy before graduating.[7]

Aldridge began his coaching career in 2013, as a graduate assistant at Lindenwood and the defensive line coach at Ouachita Baptist.[5] In 2014, he was hired by former West Alabama coach Will Hall, who he had played against several times at Harding, to be the defensive line coach at West Georgia.[8] He spent four seasons (2014 to 2017) serving in that position, as well as serving as their recruiting coordinator.[5] He helped West Georgia win one Gulf South Conference (GSC) championship, earn three playoff berths, and record back-to-back 12-win seasons.[5]

In 2018, Aldridge served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Lenoir–Rhyne.[5] After one season there, he was hired by Hugh Freeze to be the defensive line coach at the FBS school Liberty, being Freeze's first hiring.[9] In 2021, he was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in the nation.[10] He received a promotion to co-defensive coordinator as well as a shift to linebackers coach in early 2022.[11][12] After Freeze was signed away by Auburn with one game remaining in 2022, the Boca Raton Bowl, Aldridge was named Liberty's interim head coach.[13][14] They lost to Toledo, 19–21,[15] after which Aldridge left Liberty and joined Freeze at Auburn as linebackers coach.[16]

• Auburn profile
• Liberty profile