By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — For most of the last 46 years, there has a Breitenstein on the Watauga High School football team’s sideline as an assistant coach and, more recently, a pair of them. For 2025, that won’t the case.
The Pioneers lost two Breitenstein assistant coaches in the off-season — but are adding a landmark new assistant coach, too.
Steve Breitenstein became a Pioneer assistant in 1978, under then head coach Bill Mauldin. That season was the last Watauga football team to win a state championship. Officially, Breitenstein is retiring from high school football — but it didn’t take long for him to find a new football-related gig.
“My wife will get me for the ‘honey-do’ list until about 2 p.m. every day,” Breitenstein chuckled in an interview with High Country Sports. “Then I will be going to Hardin Park School to help coach the Watauga middle school football team, as an assistant under head coach Byron Towner.”
After a stellar high school career at Watauga and an award-winning stint with Wofford College (including induction into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame), Steve Breitenstein’s son, Eric Breitenstein, enjoyed some interest from NFL teams but eventually pursued his other interest: teaching science. He was hired as a science teacher and assistant football coach in 2020, joining head coach Ryan Habich’s staff and getting to coach alongside his father.
He is also leaving the Pioneer football program, having taken a job as an advisor for student athletes competing for App State Athletics, with primary responsibilities for the men’s and women’s golf teams.
“Change is inevitable,” said Watauga head coach Habich, in a separate interview with High Country Sports, “but this will be a very different year without the Breitensteins on the sideline with me. They are truly special coaches, but also very special people. Steve has been a mentor for me. He is not the kind of guy that tells you what you want to hear, but a guy who tells you what you need to here. To be successful, you need that honesty and constructive criticism in your corner.”
Although both Steve and Eric have coached multiple positions, Steve started out coaching the offensive line in 1978 and for the last several years as coach of the offensive line under Habich.
“It is a funny story,” said Habich, grinning, “but last year I was walking on the track with Steve and he said, ‘In 1978, I was an assistant here and getting yelled at by the head coach (Bill Mauldin) when the offensive line was making mistakes. Fast forward a few decades and I am still getting yelled at by the head coach (Habich) when the offensive line isn’t doing its job!'”
For Steve Breitenstein, coaching football has been nothing short of a wonderful, life-fulfilling experience. He was the son of a football coach, Bob Breitenstein, who was backfield coach for the University of Miami in Florida before taking the head coaching job at App State in 1959 for one year — which is what brought the Breitenstein family to the High Country.
“Coaching is in my blood,” said Steve. “I was recruited to play football at Catawba College but it didn’t take me long to figure out I wasn’t really good enough. So I started to serve the sport in other ways, like filming games. When I applied for a teaching job at North Davidson, they asked me what kind of extra-curriculars I could teach. I had always wanted to coach football, so that is where I got my start.”
For the elder Breitenstein, teaching and coaching have gone hand in hand.
“Mentoring young men and women and watching them grow is such a privilege,” he said.
As for football, Breitenstein said he was made to be a position coach.
“I never wanted to be a head coach and I have had an opportunity to be an assistant under some of the best,” said Steve. “That started with Bill Mauldin and the state championship team in 1978. He is now retired, of course, but he was a terrific football coach and leader of men. And here at the end of my high school coaching career, I have had an opportunity to work under Ryan Habich since 2013. Watauga was a program in transition when Habich took over the program and he turned it around almost from the get-go. Can you believe that in the last seven years we won SEVEN consecutive, undefeated conference championships? As my son, Eric, says, ‘That’s ridiculous!’
“I mean this in all sincerity,” Breitenstein added, “but Ryan Habich is a genius when it comes to football.”
Habich to Introduce “New” Assistant
As a freshman for the 2013-14 academic year at Watauga, Hamilton Castle was the first quarterback to play all four years for Ryan Habich. In 2025, he returns to the Pioneers as an assistant coach under Habich, focused on coaching wide receivers.
“This is a special opportunity for me,” said Habich. “Hamilton was the first QB I had all four years, succeeding Aaron Dobbins, then giving way to his brother, Anderson Castle (now a running back at Duke after transferring from App State in the off-season for his remaining year of eligibility).”
Castle was an all-conference performer in high school, both as a quarterback and a defensive back. For the Hudl highlight reel, CLICK HERE.
According to LinkedIn, Castle graduated from App State with an undergraduate degree in business administration (banking and finance), then in 2023 earned an MBA from App State, with a combined GPA of 3.64. After graduating with his undergraduate degree and while working on his MBA, Castle was employed full-time by Lifestore Bank as a credit analyst. In 2024, he became owner-manager of 581 Consulting, a sales and use tax refund company for North Carolina-based truck companies.
“Although we hate losing Steve and Eric Breitenstein, change is inevitable and Hamilton is a welcome addition to our coaching staff,” said Habich. “He brings a wealth of knowledge about football, business and life. Just as Eric was a Watauga alum who came back to serve his alma mater and contributed in a positive way, now Hamilton is doing the same thing.”
Watauga football training officially begins on July 30.
