Eastern Washington University Athletics

Bruce enters his 6th season as coach of Eastern safeties in 25 after a prolific playing career as an Eagle from 2012-16.

This past season, Bruce helped Derek Ganter Jr. earn All-Big Sky second team honors, along with earning a spot on the Jerry Rice Award watchlist. Ganter Jr. led the team with 95.0 tackles, adding one sack and a force fumble. In 2022, Bruce coached Marlon Jones Jr. to Third Team All-Big Sky Honors after recording 52 tackles in 11 games (9 starts), leading the team with 4 pass deflections and 3 interceptions. The Eagles ranked 4th in the conference in passing yards allowed per game (215.2). They ranked 3rd in interceptions (13) and 19th nationally.

Bruce coached Calin Criner to Third Team All-Big Sky honors in 2021 after he ranked 3rd on the team with 83 total tackles, 2 INTs and 9 breakups. The Eagle defense held opponents to 23 points-or-less 7 times and ranked 18th in the nation with 14 INTs.

He coached safety Anthany Smith to First Team All-Big Sky honors in the abbreviated 2020-21 season as Smith had had a team-leading 44 tackles, adding 2 INTs (one for a 71-yard TD). Smith racked up 17 tackles — 19th-most in school history — against Idaho on April 10.

Bruce served as an assistant coach at Mead High in Spokane in 2017-18. Along with several other former Eagles, he was a founding member of the Pro Vision Academy in Spokane. He also spent time in 2018-20 as defensive backs coach and speed and conditioning coach in Helsinki, Finland, where his wife was playing professional basketball.

As a player, he walked on after a standout career at University High in Spokane Valley, Wash. and redshirted in 2012. He then played four years and ranks in the top 50 in EWU history in games played (50; t-42nd) and total tackles (227; 27th). He earned First Team All-Big Sky honors as a senior when he served as team co-captain. He also earned Honorable Mention All-Big Sky in 2014, and in 2015 and 2016 he was selected to the Big Sky All-Academic team. He made 14 tackles in a single game twice and 115 total during his senior year (13th in program history). Eastern went 41-13 (.759) in the four seasons he played, including 28-4 in Big Sky play (.875). The team won the Big Sky Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Bruce received his bachelor’s degree in history from Eastern in 2018. He earned a minor in coaching and a secondary minor in social studies education. 

Bruce is married to Delaney Hodgins, who is the all-time leading scorer in EWU women’s basketball history (2,120; 2015-18). While he was in Finland, Bruce wrote a book about football called “Dumb Jocks” which takes a deep look into the understanding of defensive football.

Coaching Summary

• Eastern Washington (2020-pres.)
  • Safeties, Defensive Pass Game Coordinator
     
• Helsinki, Finland (2018-20)
   
• Mead High School, Mead, Wash. (2017-18)
   

• Eastern Washington (2012-16)
  • 50 career games played (t-42nd program history)
  • 227 career tackles (27th)
  • First Team Big Sky (2016), Honorable Mention (2014)
  • 3x Big Sky All-Academic (2014, 2015, 2016)