Steve McNeely enters his fourth season as a member of Zac Bruney's Wheeling University Football coaching staff in 2026. It will be his third season as the teams Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach, and his second season working with the Tight Ends. He served as the team's Passing Game Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach in 2023 during his first season with the team.
During the 2025 season, McNeely lead an offense that averaged 27.82 points per game, while averaging 356.0 total yards per game. He would coach a tandem of quarterbacks in Landon Lutz and Ade Olanegan, who combined to throw for over 2,400 yards while connecting on 20 touchdowns throughout the year. Highlighted in his position group was the performance of Alex Godavitarne, who earned Honorable Mention All-MEC honors. Under McNeely's watch, Godavitarne would set a career high with 19 catches for 255 yards and five touchdowns to lead the tight end group.
During the 2024 season, McNeely's offense stepped up their game even further, scoring just over 33 points per game during the season. It was an average of five points per game more than 2024. Under McNeely's watch, Landon Lutz stepped in after an injury and helped lead the Cardinals to a 5-1 record down the stretch, finishing just one game shy of tying the program's single-season win record. Lutz would set the single-season touchdown record with 19, while throwing just two interceptions under McNeely's guidance.
McNeely helped lead a Cardinal offense that averaged 28.60 points per game this past season. Under his watch, Landon Lutz would step up for the Cardinals, starting nine games dur to an injury to Javon Davis, and helped the Cardinals go 5-5. The sophomore threw for 1,394 yards and nine touchdowns in nine starts, completing 47.30% of his passes. His offense broke the single-game points record in their homecoming game against West Virginia Wesleyan, where the team picked up a 58-3 victory.
Prior to Wheeling, McNeely served as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach at Franklin University during the 2022 season. Under his watch, the Grizzlies averaged 25.40 points per game while averaging 201.10 yards per game through the air and 18 touchdowns. Under his watch, Kai Ross won All-Conference honors for the first time in his career, throwing for 2001 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season, while three Grizzly offensive lineman took home honors during the year.
Prior to Franklin University, McNeely spent five seasons with Guillford College, where he lead a pair of top-five offenses in yards per game. He also was he Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers coach at his Alma Mater, the University of Mount Union from 2012-2014, where he helped lead the team to a pair of NCAA DIII National title games. With the Purple Raiders, he helped lead quarterback Kevin Burke to the 2013 and 2014 Gagliardi Award, recognizing the most outstanding player in NCAA DIII.
