Tim Zetts enters his second season as assistant tight ends coach for the Bears in 2023.
Zetts is now in his 15th year as a coach, having previously served as an offensive assistant for the Packers during the 2021 season prior to joining the Bears in 2022.
During the 2022 season, Zetts and tight ends coach Jim Dray contributed to the growth of Cole Kmet. Kmet led all Bears pass-catchers with 544 yards on 50 receptions (10.9 avg.) as well as a career-high seven touchdown receptions on the season, tied for third-most amongst all tight ends in the NFL.
In 2021, with Zetts' assistance, the Packers won the NFC North and claimed the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed for the second-consecutive season. Zetts helped oversee a Packers offense that allowed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to orchestrate an MVP-caliber season comprised of 37 touchdown passes and just four interceptions while compiling a league-best 111.9 passer rating. Rodgers led the league in passing touchdown percentage (7%) and tied Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes for the fourth most passing touchdowns (37). Zetts also assisted with wide receiver Davante Adams' success, who finished third in the league in receiving yards with 1,553. The Packers' offense also ranked in the league's top-10 in total scoring and receiving yards, tied the Bengals for sixth with 54 total touchdowns and finished ninth in receiving yards (4,526).
Prior to joining the Packers, Zetts spent two seasons (2019-20) at Austin Peay State University in Clarkesville, Tenn., where he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Zetts led Austin Peay's offense during an abbreviated fall football schedule before the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) season was postponed until the spring of 2021. In his first season with the Governors in 2019, AP's offense led the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense (34.1 ppg), fewest sacks allowed (14) and third-down percentage (41.7) while finishing No. 2 in total offense (414.1 ypg), rushing offense (175.6 ypg) and pass efficiency (139.0). Austin Peay finished the season with 11 total wins (No. 1 in program history), won the OVC for the first time since 1977 and advanced to the FCS quarterfinals.
Zetts served as an assistant wide receivers/offensive skill quality control coach for Mississippi State University in 2018. At MSU, he coached alongside Bears' offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was in his first season as offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs' offense finished the year tied for No. 1 in the FBS with only three fumbles lost while also tying for No. 3 in the country with just nine total fumbles.
Prior to his stop in Mississippi, Zetts spent three seasons as a quarterbacks coach, including stops at Davidson College (2017), John Caroll University (2016, where he also served as an offensive coordinator) and Mercyhurst University (2015).
Zetts spent the 2012-14 seasons at Fordham while serving as the Rams' running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. While with the Rams, Zetts mentored running back Chase Edmonds, a fourth-round selection (No. 134 overall) by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Before arriving Fordham, Zetts joined Getsy on the coaching staff at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, serving for one season (2011) as the running backs coach while also assisting with the kickoff return, punt return and field goal units for the Crimson Hawks.
Zetts began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Akron, serving as an offensive student assistant and assistant quarterback coach during the 2008-09 seasons. Zetts then went on to spend the 2010 season as an offensive quality control coach at California University of Pennsylvania.
Zetts played quarterback at Akron during the 2005-06 seasons, backing up Getsy as the Zips won the Mid-American Conference title in 2005. Zetts left Akron prior to the 2007 season to transfer to Saginaw Valley State. After suffering a knee injury, he returned to Akron to begin his coaching career as a student assistant in 2008-09. Zetts graduated from Akron with a degree in business and organization communications.
Zetts is a Youngstown, Ohio native. He and his wife Kellyn, have two sons, Dawson and Micah.
