Carson Palmer is taking over as head football coach at his alma mater, Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County, California, officially announcing his hiring on Friday.

Palmer, who turns 45 later this month, played at Santa Margarita in the late 1990s and led the Eagles to consecutive CIF Southern Section titles. From there, he enrolled at USC, won the Heisman Trophy in 2002 and was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Santa Margarita Football is pleased to announce the hiring of former Eagle and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer as our new head football coach,” the school posted on social media.

“As head coach, Palmer aims to build a program that emphasizes not only athletic performance, but also academic success and character development,” the school continued. “His vision includes creating a culture of hard work, discipline and perseverance that prepares student-athletes for both their athletic and academic futures.”

The Orange County Register reported that Palmer was a volunteer assistant coach for the school’s freshman team during the 2023 season. His son Fletcher was the quarterback of the freshman team.

Palmer’s first game at the helm of Santa Margarita in the 2025 season will be against neighboring Mission Viejo, which is coached by another former USC and NFL quarterback, Rob Johnson, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Palmer finished his NFL career with 46,247 yards, 294 touchdowns and 187 interceptions, for a career completion percentage of 62.5. He led the Arizona Cardinals to a 13-3 record and a berth in the NFC Championship Game in an MVP-caliber 2015 season. That was the furthest he went in the postseason.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.