The Florida Senate passed a new measure that will reshape how high school football coaches meet the needs of their student-athletes in need.
In a 38-0 vote on Feb. 19, the Senate passed SB 178, also known as the "Teddy Bridgewater Act," which will allow K-12 head coaches to support their student-athlete welfare with funds up to $15,000 a year.
The bill is named after Florida-native Teddy Bridgewater, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback who signed with the team last August after his leading his alma mater Miami Northwestern to a state high school title in his first season as head coach. Bridgewater was suspended from coaching because he provided student-athletes on the football team with financial benefits that he says he reported to the school.
According to the act, "the Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt bylaws authorizing a head coach to support the welfare of a student by using personal funds to provide certain effects to the student; requiring the head coach to report such use of personal funds to the association; providing that such use of personal funds is presumed not to be an impermissible benefit, etc."
Bridgewater's suspension from coaching due to providing impermissable benefits led to Sen. Shervin Jones proposing the SB 178, which headed to the House of Representatives for a second chamber vote. And if it passes, it will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for enactment or veto.
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