Former NFL Pro Bowl QB Carson Palmer, 44, has returned to the high school football ranks.

Palmer will take over as head coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School – his alma mater, and a member of the vaunted Trinity League, which is considered the toughest in the nation. He led the Eagles to two CIF-Southern Section championships and broke 27 school records before heading to USC in 1998 and the NFL in 2003.

Santa Margarita Football is excited to announce the hiring of former Eagle and Heisman Trophy winner, Carson Palmer as our new head football coach.#GoEagles🦅 pic.twitter.com/bMrXbx245j

— SM Eagles Football (@SMCHS_Football) December 13, 2024

The news about the 2002 Heisman winner coincidentally comes in the days leading up to Saturday’s 2024 Heisman Trophy presentation.

Palmer was drafted first overall by the Bengals in the 2003 NFL Draft and played seven years in Cincinnati before playing for the Raiders and Cardinals later on. He was a Pro Bowler in 2005, 2006, and 2015, and was named Second Team All-Pro as well in 2015. Palmer finished his NFL career with 46,247 yards and 294 touchdowns passing on 62.5% completion before retiring after the 2017 season.

Santa Margarita qualified for the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 playoffs and finished with a No. 55 national ranking by MaxPreps in 2024, but was inconsistent throughout its 5-7 campaign.

Previous head coach Anthony Rouzier led a resurgence for the Eagles, which had been mired in the Trinity League cellar, upon taking over during the 2020-21 season. Santa Margarita made the Division 1 playoffs in all four seasons under Rouzier, finishing with a 23-21 record during his tenure.

Rouzier was placed on administrative leave in October after allegations of locker room misconduct amongst players.

School president Andy Sulick released a statement clarifying, “Earlier this year, Coach Rouzier reported an incident to the administration that involved allegations of student misconduct in the locker room, and he was then placed on a leave of absence related to the incident… His leave had nothing to do with any concerns by us that Coach Rouzier personally posed a threat to any of his players’ safety and well being. Coach Rouzier worked to create an environment and culture of safety, respect, mentorship, and inclusivity in our football program… we and Coach Rouzier have parted ways as we both pursue new opportunities. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”