While some players move away from football after their playing careers are over, others opt to give back to the sport and climb through the coaching ranks. The latter is exactly what former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Zach Mettenberger has been doing for the last five years. Earlier today, he was rewarded with his first head coaching gig with Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tenn.
“Father Ryan High School is pleased to announce Zach Mettenberger as the new Football Head Coach, effective immediately,” the school announced on X.
Prior to the NFL, he was a standout quarterback with the LSU Tigers, but he got there in a roundabout way after one year at Georgia, followed by a season at Butler Community College. In two years as the starter at LSU, he led the team to a 20-6 record.
After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, Mettenberger went on to start 10 games over his first two seasons with a 0-10 record. He completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 2,347 yards, 12 TDs, and 14 INTs. He also spent a brief period with the San Diego Chargers, but only on their offseason roster before heading to Pittsburgh.
Mettenberger’s final NFL stop was with the Steelers in 2016 as a backup quarterback. Following his only season with the team, they drafted Josh Dobbs in the fourth round and released Mettenberger shortly after.
He then had a brief stint in the AAF with the Memphis Express in 2019 before ending his playing career and quickly shifting to the coaching ranks. He started as an offensive coordinator at Hillsboro High School in Nashville before becoming an assistant coach at Father Ryan. Alabama then brought him on as an analyst for two seasons before he went back to Father Ryan as the offensive coordinator, QB coach, and assistant strength and conditioning coach.
He appears to be climbing the ranks, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see that continue with another vertical move to the college ranks in a handful of seasons from now. He joins the extensive fraternity of former Steelers who are coaching at every level of the sport, from youth football to the NFL.
