Charlie Partridge Staff

THE PARTRIDGE FILE

Hometown: Plantation, Fla.
High School: Plantation
College: Drake (1995), Iowa State (master’s degree, 2002)
Wife: Julie
Children: Alexa and Kylee

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

• 1991-94 Drake (Defensive Lineman)

COACHING CAREER

• 1996-97 Drake Graduate Assistant
• 1998-99 Iowa State Graduate Assistant
• 2002 Eastern Illinois Defensive Line Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
• 2003-04 Pittsburgh Defensive Ends Coach
• 2005 Pittsburgh Defensive Ends/Special Teams Coach
• 2006 Pittsburgh Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach
• 2007 Pittsburgh Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Coach
• 2008-10 Wisconsin Defensive Line and Specialists Coach
• 2011-12 Wisconsin Associate Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line
• 2013 Arkansas Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line
• 2014-16 Florida Atlantic Head Coach
• 2017 Pittsburgh Defensive Line Coach
• 2018-23 Pittsburgh Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line
• 2024-25 Indianapolis Colts Defensive Line Coach

BOWLS/PLAYOFFS COACHED

• 2002 Football Championship Subdivision First Round (Eastern Illinois) 
• 2003 Continental Tire Bowl (Pittsburgh)
• 2004 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Pittsburgh)
• 2008 Champs Sports Bowl (Wisconsin)
• 2009 Champs Sports Bowl (Wisconsin)
• 2010 Rose Bowl (Wisconsin)
• 2011 Rose Bowl (Wisconsin)
• 2012 Rose Bowl (Wisconsin) 
• 2018 Hyundai Sun Bowl (Pittsburgh)
• 2019 Quick Lane Bowl (Pittsburgh)
• 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Pittsburgh) 
• 2022 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl (Pittsburgh)

PERSONAL INFORMATION

• Partridge earned his undergraduate degree from Drake in 1995.
• A defensive lineman for the Bulldogs, he was a three-year starter, served as team captain and was named as an NSCA All-American.
• He earned a master’s degree in education from Iowa State in 2002.
• Partridge will join Chris Ash on the coaching staff at Notre Dame, marking the fifth time the pair have coached together. The duo played at and graduated from Drake before working together at Drake, Iowa State, Wisconsin and Arkansas

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Partridge spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts as the defensive line coach.
• Two Colts defensive linemen were named as Pro Football Focus Team of the Week honorees in 2025 – Grover Stewart (Week 6) and Laiatu Latu (Week 16).
• The Colts finished the 2025 regular season ranked tenth in total takeaways (21) during the 2025 regular season. 
• In 2024, the Colts defense ranked eighth in the NFL in fewest rush yards allowed per carry. 
• The Indianapolis defense ranked tied for seventh in the NFL in takeaways (25) and tied for first in the league in red zone takeaways (six) in 2024.
• Prior to his time in the NFL, Partridge spent 26 years in the collegiate coaching ranks as a positional coach, special teams coordinator, co-defensive coordinator, assistant coach and head coach. 
• While at Pittsburgh, the Panthers ranked in the top five nationally in sacks from 2019-22.
• Partridge mentored 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-America honoree Calijah Kancey. 
• He coached 2022 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year and 2022 Coach Wooden Citizen Cup honoree Deslin Alexandre while at Pittsburgh.
• Seven different defensive linemen earned All-ACC honors under Partridge from 2017 through 2023.
• He was named by FootballScoop as the National Defensive Line Coach of the Year in both 2022 and 2020 while at Pittsburgh.
• The Panthers claimed the 2021 ACC Coastal Division and won the ACC Championship game over Wake Forest.
• Seven players garnered All-ACC Coaches and Media honors under Partridge’s guidance from 2017-23.
• Calijah Kancey (2023 Draft, First Round, 19th pick), Patrick Jones II (2021 Draft, Third Round, 90th pick), Rashad Weaver (2021 Draft, Fourth Round, 135th pick) and Jaylen Twyman (2021 Draft, Sixth Round, 199th pick) were all selected in the NFL Draft after playing for Partridge at Pittsburgh.
• Partridge served as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University from 2014-16.
• During his tenure, the Owls had three of FAU’s best recruiting classes in program history. 
• His players at FAU garnered 39 Conference USA postseason honors, and defensive end Trey Hendrickson was named as the 2016 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year.
• Ten players who competed under Partridge at FAU went on to the NFL, including Hendrickson and 2026 Pro Bowl selection Azeez Al-Shaair.
• He served as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach for the University of Arkansas in the 2013 season, where he coached Trey Flowers and Chris Smith to Second Team All-SEC honors.
• Flowers and Smith both went on to compete in the NFL. 
• Partridge served on the staff at the University of Wisconsin from 2008-12 as associate head coach/co-defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and specialists coach.
• He worked closely with 2010 Lott IMPACT Trophy winner and All-America selection J.J. Watt while with the Badgers. 
• Watt was selected in the first round with the 11th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times.
• Partridge spent the 2003-07 seasons at the University of Pittsburgh as special teams coordinator, linebackers coach, defensive line coach, defensive ends coach and special teams coach. 
• The Panthers’ defense led the Big East and was ranked fifth nationally in total defense per game (297.7 yards per game) in the 2007 season. 
• In 2002, Partridge was the defensive line coach and served as the recruiting coordinator at Eastern Illinois University. 
• The 2002 Panthers earned a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title and reached the NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) playoffs. 
• Partridge was a graduate assistant and later became the director of football operations at Iowa State University from 1998-2001.
• He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Drake University from 1996-97 where he worked with the running backs.