His earliest memories include flag football and running around the University of Georgia’s football offices, practice fields and Sanford Stadium.
His own football path includes time around such college football luminaries as Nick Saban and Mark Richt and Mike Bobo and Tommy Rees; NFL work around the likes of Cam Cameron, Ken Whisenhunt and John McNulty, among others.
Zach Mettenberger’s is a football life.
Now, it’s continuing at a prestigious Nashville school where Mettenberger is relishing the opportunity to do for the next generation what so many previous coaches, George and Mike Bobo chief amongst them, did for him: give them a chance to grow and love the game of football.
A former prized national recruit who began his collegiate career at the University of Georgia, starred at LSU and spent multiple seasons in the NFL, Mettenberger has been named the head coach at Father Ryan High School.
“I’m excited about the opportunity for my first head coaching opportunity and to be around such great people,” Mettenberger, whose mother, Tammy, was a longtime Georgia football administrative assistant, told FootballScoop. “I want to be a head coach and this is a great chance to get to see what I’m made of.
“There’s really good people around here, and I believe there’s a foundation to build a real powerhouse program. We’re excited.”
After spending time with three NFL franchises – drafted by the Titans in 2014, he also had stints with the Chargers and Steelers, Mettenberger played briefly in the Alliance of American Football for the Memphis Express before retired from football and transitioned into coaching.
His first foray into coaching was at Nashville’s Hillsboro High School in 2020, Mettenberger joined the Father Ryan staff in 2021 and then spent two seasons as an offensive analyst in Saban’s Alabama dynasty before he returned last year to Father Ryan as the school’s offensive coordinator.
“I am confident that Coach Mettenberger will build upon the strong foundation established by the coaches before him, leading our student-athletes to new heights both on and off the field,” Father Ryan Athletics Director Ann Mullins said in a statement. “His passion for the game, commitment to developing young athletes and leadership qualities make him the right person to guide our football program into the future.”
As this process unfolded, during which time Father Ryan officials received interest from candidates around the country including current college football assistant coaches, Mettenberger said he wondered if he might need to prepare to start selling insurance.
Instead, the 33-year-old has earned the opportunity to lead Father Ryan’s program into the school’s 100th year celebration.
“Everything in coaching is timing and opportunity; there are so many qualified guys and just not enough positions in football,” said Mettenberger, who joins fellow former NFL quarterbacks Tim Hasselbeck of Ensworth and Ingle Martin of CPA as Nashville-area prep head coaches. “If I was going to stay at this level, I really feel lucky for this opportunity.
“In coaching, you’ve got to be flexible. Plans change in this fickle environment. But I was drafted here, we’ve loved it here and put down some roots here. Let’s see where this opportunity takes it.”
While Mettenberger shared a vision to build his program on discipline and toughness, he also stressed the need to ensure coaches foster an environment where players cannot wait to be a part of the Father Ryan program.
“I always go back to why any of us chooses any sport we pursue: we found something fun and fell in love with it,” said the married father of two. “At the end of the day, it’s still a kid’s game. We’ve messed with the purity of football in so many ways, and I want kids to have fun, show up and work hard, no question, but go do that hard work when you’re having fun with your buddies.”
Mettenberger will apply lessons from throughout his football walk, but the traits he carries with him from his time on Saban’s staff remain fresh.
“It’s hard to put into words the experience, not only did I get to watch Coach Saban operate day to day and see how’s been successful and holds to the standard and holds everybody else to the standard,” Mettenberger said, “but I got to work with Tommy Rees, Holmon Wiggins, Robert Gillespie, Joe Cox, Derek Dooley and so many other coaches on really an unbelievable offensive football staff.
“That’s the greatest masterclass that anybody could have ever taken. It really accelerated my football knowledge from a coaching standpoint. And it further confirmed that I was heading in the right direction in my life in getting into coaching.”
What direction does Mettenberger want to take Father Ryan from an Xs and Os standpoint? Like any sensible quarterback, he doesn’t intend to force a throw – or a system – into something that isn’t there.
“We’ve gotta be flexible and adaptable to be able to do what our personnel can execute,” he said. “If we’ve got two good tight ends, we’ll run 12 personnel. And if we’ve got a bunch of good receivers, we’ll run 10 personnel.
“We’re gonna do what our kids can do best, from both execution and personnel-wise. And we’re going to squeeze everything we can out of guys to be as mean, tough and nasty as we can be and go out and compete.”
Though Father Ryan’s program owns five consecutive TSSAA State Playoffs appearances, its last state championship came in 1997 – way back when Mettenberger was scampering around Athens, Georgia.
He believes there’s a path for success, though the program must replace some two dozen seniors from 2024’s squad that advanced to the postseason and obliterated numerous school offensive records under Mettenberger’s direction.
“We have an incredible community and history of the school; this is the 100th year of the school and we’re the only Catholic school in the greater Nashville area,” Mettenberger said. “We’ve got a huge alumni and support group. We certainly want to lean into that and tap into that element to get things going again.
“There’s been plenty of success here in the past, state championships and great players, and we want to do those things again at a really great place that’s already done it.”