Beach volleyball coach Stein Metzger to depart UCLA for Texas
Former UCLA beach volleyball coach Stein Metzger holds his hat. The program announced Tuesday that Metzger will leave the program, with associate head coach Jenny Johnson Jordan being named interim head coach. (Jeremy Chen/Assistant Photo editor)
By Grace Whitaker
May 16, 2023 5:50 p.m.
This post was updated May 16 at 10:13 p.m.
After 11 seasons at the helm of UCLA beach volleyball, coach Stein Metzger is saying goodbye to Westwood.
UCLA Athletics announced Tuesday that Metzger would be departing to take on the role of head coach for Texas. Current associate head coach Jenny Johnson Jordan has been appointed the interim head coach for the Bruins in Metzger’s place. Johnson Jordan has been with the program for 10 years and was selected as the AVCA Assistant Beach Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2019.
The Texas beach volleyball team completed its first season after the school announced the addition of the program to its repertoire of teams in 2022. The Longhorns did not find immediate success, however, as the team went 1-12 across its debut season.
In a statement released by the Texas program, Metzger noted that he is dedicated to building a program from the ground up.
“The Longhorns volleyball fanbase is second to none,” Metzger said in the statement. “And I’m determined to help create a competitive beach volleyball program that is worthy of their passion.”
This will not be the first time Metzger has taken on a team in its early days, as he took the helm of UCLA during its opening season in 2013 and has coached it ever since.
Metzger called Westwood home long before his time in the coaching seat, as he competed alongside former UCLA women’s volleyball coach Michael Sealy and current UCLA men’s volleyball coach John Speraw as a student-athlete. He won three national championships as a player with UCLA men’s volleyball between 1993 and 1996.
During his time as a coach with the Bruins, Metzger led his team to back-to-back national championships in 2018 and 2019, adding three Pac-12 titles in 2018, 2021 and 2023. This season, UCLA made it all the way to the national championship, where it ultimately lost to its crosstown rival USC to grant the Trojans their third consecutive NCAA title.
“These past 11 seasons have been an amazing journey,” Metzger said in the statement. “And I’m very grateful to (former UCLA athletic director) Dan Guerrero and his staff for giving me the opportunity to build the foundation for this program.”
