Dec 27, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger (7) after a three and out during the first half against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Former Steelers QB Begins Head Coaching Career

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Zach Mettenberger is making headway in the football world post-retirement, as he was named the head coach of Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tennessee.

Mettenberger first joined Father Ryan's staff in 2021 before spending two years in Tuscaloosa as an analyst under Nick Saban at Alabama.

He returned to Father Ryan in 2024 upon Saban's retirement and served as the school's offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Mettenberger's first foray into coaching came back in 2020, when he held the title of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Hillsboro High School in Nashville.

As a player, he started out at Georgia in 2009 and was redshirted as a freshman, though he was kicked off the team for violating team rules in the spring of 2010.

Mettenberger found his way to Butler Community College before transferring to LSU ahead of the 2011 campaign.

In an offense that featured the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and Jeremy Hill, Mettenberger threw for a total of 5,783 yards, 35 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over 30 career games for the program.

The Tennessee Titans would go on to select him in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft with the No. 178 overall pick. Mettenberger appeared in seven contests, six of which were starts, as a rookie and racked up 1,412 yards to go with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The team took Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick in 2015, though Mettenberger still found his way into seven contests and made four starts that season while throwing for 935 yards, four scores and seven picks.

He was claimed by the Los Angeles Chargers after being released by Tennessee in May 2016, though he failed to crack the team's 53-man roster and was let go at final cuts.

Mettenberger was later claimed by the Steelers and spent the entirety of the 2016 season on their roster, though he was active for just four games and never saw the field.

After Pittsburgh parted ways with him in May 2017, Mettenberger endured stints in The Spring League and American Alliance of Football through 2020 before effectively hanging up his spikes.

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