Early coaching career Bradley joined the
North Dakota State Bison as a graduate assistant coach in 1990 and was there until 1991. He was the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at
Fort Lewis College from 1992 to 1995 and was their head coach from December 1995 to March 1996. From 1996 to 2005, Bradley returned to North Dakota State and coached in many positions including defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, and assistant head coach to
Bob Babich and
Craig Bohl. Under Bradley's guidance, North Dakota State's defense led the
Great West Football Conference in scoring defense (13.7 ppg), pass defense (150.3 ypg), total defense (272.4 ypg) and turnover margin (+1.00) in 2005.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers In 2006, Bradley joined the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers as their defensive quality control coach, working closely with defensive coordinator
Monte Kiffin in the organization and implementation of the defensive game plan. In 2007, Bradley was promoted to linebackers coach after previous linebackers coach
Joe Barry left to become defensive coordinator for the
Detroit Lions. Under Bradley's guidance, linebacker
Barrett Ruud went on to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September after leading the Buccaneers defense with 51 tackles, an
interception, three forced
fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two pass deflections.
Seattle Seahawks On January 12, 2009, the
Seattle Seahawks hired Bradley to become the team's defensive coordinator. He was recommended for the job by former Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Monte Kiffin. Carroll decided to keep Bradley for the
2010 season; the two coaches have a common connection with Kiffin. In 2010, the Seahawks' defense allowed opponents to gain 368.6 yards (27th in the league) and to score 25.4 points per game (25th). In 2011, the Seahawks' defense allowed opponents to gain 332.2 yards (9th in the league) and to score 19.7 points per game (7th). In 2012, the Seahawks' defense allowed opponents to gain 306.2 yards per game (4th in the league) and to score 15.3 points per game (1st).
Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014 On January 17, 2013, Bradley was hired as the new head coach of the
Jacksonville Jaguars. His first regular season win came in Week 10 as the Jaguars narrowly defeated the
Tennessee Titans by a score of 29–27. The Jaguars finished the season with a 4–12 record, and Bradley was eventually named the head coach of the South team in the
2014 Senior Bowl. On December 18, 2016, the Jaguars relieved Bradley of his duties as head coach, compiling a 14–48 record in less than four seasons.
Los Angeles Chargers On January 20, 2017, the
Los Angeles Chargers hired Bradley as defensive coordinator under head coach
Anthony Lynn. After the defense allowed 17 points per game, the third-fewest in the NFL, Bradley received a three-year contract extension after the 2017 season.
Las Vegas Raiders On January 12, 2021, Bradley was hired by the
Las Vegas Raiders to be their defensive coordinator under head coach
Jon Gruden, replacing
Paul Guenther, who was fired during the
2020 season.
Indianapolis Colts On February 4, 2022, Bradley was hired by the
Indianapolis Colts as their defensive coordinator under head coach
Frank Reich. On March 7, 2023, after Reich was fired and Bradley's defense struggled, the Colts announced that they would be retaining Bradley as defensive coordinator under newly hired head coach
Shane Steichen. Notably, Steichen and Bradley worked together during their time with the
Los Angeles Chargers. On January 11, 2024, Colts general manager
Chris Ballard announced that Bradley would again return for the
2024 NFL season, after the Colts defense struggled in some areas but ranked 5th in sacks (51), 16th in takeaways (24), but just 28th in points (24.4) during the
2023 NFL season. On January 6, 2025, after a long and difficult year in which Bradley’s defense ranked bottom five in most categories, the Colts announced they had fired Bradley after three years as defensive coordinator.
San Francisco 49ers On February 25, 2025, the
San Francisco 49ers hired Bradley as their assistant head coach, reuniting with his old friend and former assistant at Jacksonville,
Robert Saleh, who served as the team's defensive coordinator. Bradley’s role with the 49ers was to assist both Saleh and head coach
Kyle Shanahan, game plan, and make key defensive decisions.
Tennessee Titans On February 4, 2026, the
Tennessee Titans hired Bradley to be their new defensive coordinator under new head coach
Robert Saleh after the pair of them spent the 2025 season together with the 49ers. ==Head coaching record==