Two Devil Dogs. One program. When Coach Fern brought in his brother-in-arms Gerardo Zavala, the Fohi Steelers didn’t just add a strength coach — they added a weapon. A fellow U.S. Marine veteran, Coach Z carries the same code: earn everything, cut nothing short, and push until most people would have already quit. That’s not a training philosophy. That’s the Corps.

Coach Z isn’t just another coach with a whistle. He runs his own gym and brings professional-level expertise to Fontana’s sideline — the same expertise he applies working with the Los Angeles Lakers. NBA athletes train under his system. Now so do the Steelers. Since joining the program in 2025, he has completely transformed what this roster is physically capable of — faster, stronger, more explosive, and built to compete for four quarters every single week.

His impact isn’t just measured in weight room numbers. It shows up on the field — in the way this team finishes games, wins physical matchups, and refuses to get pushed around. The Steelers hit harder because of Coach Z. Full stop.

“The Marine Corps taught me that the body can always go further than the mind thinks it can. My job is to show these kids where that line actually is.”