Terry Bradden

Terry Bradden is in his first season as Nebraska's defensive line coach in 2025. Bradden is in his 12th season of coaching, including eight seasons in the National Football League.

Bradden joined the Huskers after eight years as a defensive assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs won the AFC West Division in each of Bradden's eight seasons and played in seven AFC Championship games and five Super Bowls, winning three Super Bowl titles.

In his four seasons as an assistant coach, the Chiefs twice ranked second in the NFL in sacks. Kansas City also ranked in the top five in the NFL in scoring defense and in the top 10 in total defense in each of Bradden's final two seasons on staff.

Before coaching in the NFL, Bradden coached at Florida Atlantic (2014) and Bethune-Cookman (2016), with a stop as the head coach at Florida's Inlet Grove High School in between.

BEFORE NEBRASKA
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Bradden spent eight successful seasons as a defensive assistant with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining Nebraska. Bradden began his Chiefs' tenure as a defensive assistant in 2017 before moving into a defensive quality control role from 2018 to 2020. He served as an assistant defensive line coach for his final four seasons on staff from 2021 to 2024.

Kansas City was the most successful team in the NFL during Bradden's eight seasons on staff. The Chiefs won the AFC West Division every year and won 100 regular-season games in his eight seasons. In the playoffs, Kansas City advanced to the AFC Championship Game in each of Bradden's final seven seasons. The Chiefs won three Super Bowls during Bradden's tenure, including back-to-back titles in Super Bowl LVII and LVIII.

Individually, defensive tackle Chris Jones was a Pro Bowl selection in each of Bradden's four seasons as the assistant defensive line coach. Jones also earned first-team NFL All-Pro honors in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and was a second-team All-Pro pick in 2021. Defensive end Frank Clark also made the Pro Bowl in 2021.

In Bradden's final season in 2024, Kansas City ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring defense and ninth in total defense. The defensive line helped stop the opponent running game, as the Chiefs allowed the fifth-fewest yards per carry in the league.

In 2023, Bradden assisted a defensive line that recorded 57.0 sacks to rank second in the NFL. The 57.0 sacks were the second-highest total in team history and helped the Chiefs rank second in the NFL in scoring defense. Jones and defensive end George Karlaftis each recorded 10.5 sacks. The play of the defensive line helped Kansas City rank second in the league in total defense and scoring defense.

The defensive line also paced the way for the Chiefs to record 55.0 sacks in 2022, which ranked second in the league. Jones registered 15.5 sacks while Karlaftis had the fifth-most sacks by a rookie (6.0) in franchise history.

In Bradden's first season as the assistant defensive line coach in 2021, the Chiefs ranked eighth in the NFL in scoring defense.

Bradden spent the 2020 season as a defensive quality control coach working mostly with the defensive line. That season, Jones was named to the All-Pro second team and was a Pro Bowl selection.

In 2019, Bradden primarily worked with the defensive backs, when safety Tyrann Mathieu was named an NFL All-Pro. Bradden worked with the defensive line in 2018, when Jones ranked third in the NFL with 15.5 sacks. He worked with the defensive backs in his first season with the Chiefs in 2017.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN: Bradden spent the 2016 season as a graduate assistant at Bethune-Cookman, where he tutored the quarterbacks. He was named to the AFCA Top 30 Under 30 class in his lone season at Bethune-Cookman.

INLET GROVE (FLA.) HS: Bradden was the head coach and athletic director in 2015 at Inlet Grove High School, his alma mater. He led Inlet Grove at just 24 years, claiming the title of the youngest head football coach and athletic director in the state of Florida.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: In 2014, Bradden served as a special teams quality control coach at Florida Atlantic. The Owls ranked eighth nationally in punt returns and 16th in blocked punts. Lucky Whitehead ranked third nationally in punt return average, Dalton Schomp was fifth in punting average and D'Joun Smith was 16th in kickoff return average.

PLAYING CAREER (HOWARD/TUSKEGEE)
A Florida native, Bradden played quarterback for two seasons at Howard from 2009 to 2010 before ending his career at Tuskegee.

PERSONAL
Bradden earned his degree in social work from Tuskegee in 2014. He and his wife Kendall have two sons, Christopher and Carter.

COACHING CAREER
2025: Nebraska (Defensive Line)
2021-24: Kansas City Chiefs (Assistant Defensive Line)
2018-20: Kansas City Chiefs (Defensive Quality Control)
2017: Kansas City Chiefs (Defensive Assistant)
2016: Bethune-Cookman (Graduate Assistant)
2015: Inlet Grove High School (Head Coach & Athletic Director)
2014: Florida Atlantic (Special Teams Quality Control)