When the Texas Longhorns first announced the addition of a beach volleyball team on the Forty Acres in 2022, several items of business needed to be addressed. 

With a vacant head coach position, Stein Metzger stepped into the picture. 

The UCLA alumnus had already established a strong reputation as a coach. The former professional player became UCLA’s first head beach volleyball coach in 2013, spending 11 seasons building the program from the ground up. By 2023, Metzger had led the Bruins to two national titles, three Pac-12 Championships and consistent top-10 season finishes.

“We were consistently knocking on the door, winning championships, enjoying the run,” Metzger said. “It was rinse and repeat.”

However, when the opportunity to create a new team from scratch for the Longhorns arose after the 2023 season, Metzger knew he had to take the leap and move to Austin. He would become the inaugural head coach for the Longhorns’ beach volleyball program.

“I just felt like it was a perfect storm, a place that could really take the sport to the next level and legitimize the sport, instead of it just being a West Coast sport,” Metzger said. 

Metzger also cited his passion for growing programs as a reason for accepting the job, claiming that the “ride up was just so rewarding.”

As a former player himself, Metzger is familiar with what it takes to build up a program. He accumulated three collegiate national championships at UCLA, 16 Association of Volleyball Professionals tour victories, two international titles, a silver medal in the 2003 Beach Volleyball World Championships and a bronze medal in the 2001 Goodwill Games.

The ride up, although still rewarding, certainly looks different now that name, image and likeness deals and the transfer portal exist. Metzger has found specific success with bringing Texans playing out of state back to the Lone Star State, which has helped him build a program more swiftly.

“I think they feel a lot of responsibility to establish this program and do it during their tenure, while they’re here,” Metzger said.

The Longhorns secured a Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Championship during their first season with the league in 2024, and they entered the NCAA Championships as the No. 7 seed last year. 

Metzger has attributed part of his program’s initial success to unparalleled fan culture and strong support for women’s sports within the athletic department at Texas.

“People are just such avid fans here,” Metzger said. “They want to get behind Texas. The alumni base is massive, and you feel the energy and the support from fans.” 

As Metzger and his squad approach the program’s third year, he said he works toward helping his own team become “synonymous with success.” Integrating the first true freshman class that he recruited out of high school into the mix this year, the team’s ceiling continues to rise.

“We’re excited to continue the growth,” Metzger said. “I think that’s what we’re really excited about. We’re excited about the new crew that’s coming in. In terms of goals, we feel like we’ve got the personnel to win next year.”