Duke hires Purdue assistant Jim Bridge to coordinate special teams and coach tight ends

Duke has hired Purdue assistant coach Jim Bridge to coordinate special teams and coach tight ends, according to a source. The official announcement is expected in the coming days.

Bridge replaces Zac Roper, who was promoted to offensive coordinator. And Roper was promoted to replace Scottie Montgomery, who left to take the head coaching job at East Carolina.

Bridge was a longtime assistant to former N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien. Bridge coached tight ends at Boston College under O’Brien from 2003-2006, and followed O’Brien to N.C. State in 2007. Bridge coached tight ends (2007-2010) and the offensive line (2011-12) for the Wolfpack. Following O’Brien’s dismissal in 2012, Bridge went to Purdue, where he has coached the offensive line for the past three seasons. Bridge has 23 years of collegiate coaching experience, and he played tight end for Division-III Wittenberg University.

With Bridge’s hiring, Duke has no outstanding vacant coaching positions. However, an active NFL coaching carousel could always cause a ripple effect.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Duke hires Purdue assistant Jim Bridge to coordinate special teams and coach tight ends."