Recruiting Areas: Pennsylvania (Delaware and Chester Counties), New England Prep Schools, Connecticut, Florida (West Coast), Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Kyle Metzler begins his eighth year with the Penn Quakers in 2025. He is in his sixth season as offensive line coach after two years coaching the tight ends. He enters his second year as the program's run-game coordinator.
Penn began the 2024 season battling FBS-bound Delaware close on the road before picking up victories against Colgate, Bucknell, Brown, and Cornell. Metzler mentored All-Ivy honorees Netinho Olivieri (first team) and Will Bergin (second team), who both blocked for Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Malachi Hosley. As run-game coordinator, Metzler guided Hosley, who led the Ancient Eight in all rushing categories, racking up nearly 1,200 rushing yards. The offensive line as a whole allowed just 15 sacks, the ninth-fewest number in FCS football.
The Quakers wrapped up a 6-4 overall record in 2023, going 3-4 in one of the most competitive Ivy campaigns in conference history, in which Penn had a shot to play for an Ivy championship up until the final whistle of the penultimate weekend of the year. The Red and Blue began the season with back-to-back road victories over Colgate (20-6) and Bucknell (37-21) and rounded out the unbeaten non-conference slate with a 42-39 overtime win over Georgetown at Franklin Field. Penn knocked off Columbia, 20-17, and took down Yale, the reigning Ancient Eight champs, for a second straight year, 27-17. The Quakers won on Homecoming by defeating visiting Cornell, 23-8, to hold onto the Trustees' Cup for the second year in a row. Under Metzler's tutelage, two offensive linemen were tabbed All-Ivy in Jake Ligos (first team) and Jack Purcell (second team). The line helped the offense average 286.1 yard per game (second in Ivy, eighth in FCS) while allowing just 1.2 sacks per game. The success was crucial in freshman running back Malachi Hosley being named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-America after rushing for 723 yards and seven touchdowns.
In 2022, Penn completed a very successful season, going 8-2 overall with a 5-2 record in Ivy play. Recording the program's most victories since 2010, the Quakers ended the year with a second-place finish in the Ivy standings. Penn won its first six games, going 6-0 to start a season for the first time since 2003. Victories included a double-overtime, 23-17 thriller against Dartmouth on national television, a 34-14 home win over Columbia, a 20-13 homecoming victory against eventual Ivy champion Yale and a come-from-behind, 20-19 win at #22 Princeton to close out the year. Two offensive linemen earned All-Ivy honors in Trevor Radosevich (first team) and Ben Hoitink (second team).
In 2021, Penn went 3-7 with non-conference victories at Bucknell and at home versus Lehigh. The Quakers defeated Bucknell, 20-0, and it marked Penn's first shutout since the 2009 team capped a perfect Ivy League season with a 34-0 win over Cornell. The Red and Blue scored an Ancient Eight win at home versus Brown thanks to defeating the Bears, 45-17. During the year, Isaiah Malcome was honored as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on October 11 and Garrett Morris was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week on November 1. Seven Quakers brought home All-Ivy honors, highlighted by Prince Emili and Brian O'Neill bringing home first-team accolades.
In 2019, Metzler saw Greg Benoche cap his career by being a First Team All-Ivy honoree. As a group, the offensive line that was second in the Ivy League and ranked No. 31 among all FCS teams in sacks allowed-per-game (1.6).
In 2018, the offensive line ranked No. 12 in FCS in tackles for loss allowed-per-game (4.2) No. 20 in FCS in sacks allowed-per-game (1.1).
In 2017, Metzler worked with a group led by second-team All-Ivy selection Nicholas Bokun. The tight ends accounted for 26 catches, 386 yards and three touchdowns last season - increases in all three areas from the year before.
No stranger to the Ivy League, Metzler spent five seasons as offensive tackles/tight ends coach at Dartmouth College. In addition to his positional duties, Metzler served as run game coordinator and recruiting coordinator. While on staff in Hanover, Metzler was a part of the Big Green’s 2015 Ivy League championship – which was shared with Penn – and coached honorable mention All-Ivy tight end Cole Marcoux in 2013.
Metzler joined the Big Green’s coaching staff after a pair of coaching stints at his alma mater – Yale – sandwiched around a four-year run as offensive coordinator at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
His second stint with the Bulldogs saw Metzler serve as tight ends and fullbacks coach in New Haven from 2010-11. Yale went 9-5 in the Ivy League over those two seasons, finishing in second place each year. In 2010, Metzler coached tight end Chris Blohm to second-team All-Ivy honors.
Before returning to New Haven, he spent four seasons as offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and recruiting coordinator for the Mariners.
Twice an All-Ivy selection as a guard at Yale from 1998-2001, Metzler helped Yale to an Ivy League title in 1999 and would go on to earn honorable mention All-Ivy honors in 2000 and second-team All-Ivy honors in 2001.
Metzler graduated from Yale in 2002 with a degree in history. He would go on to begin his coaching career in April of 2003, joining his alma mater’s staff video coordinator and going on to serve as tight ends/assistant offensive line coach during the 2004-05 seasons.
He and his wife, Abigail, reside in Newtown Square, Pa., with their daughter, Carsyn, and son, Clayton.
