He learned to play soccer under the tutelage of his father Walter, who coached him with the Lake City Hawks youth team and led them to multiple state championships.

Walter, a native of Germany, had played in the German Third Division before immigrating to the United States in 1962, opening a sporting goods store in Lake City.

[2][3] After graduating from high school, Schmetzer chose to forego college and signed with the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in June 1980.

He scored his first goal for his club on June 25, 1983, during a 2–0 win over the San Diego Sockers at Jack Murphy Stadium.

[8] With the demise of the Sounders, Schmetzer moved to the Tulsa Roughnecks for the 1983–84 NASL indoor season, but later filed for free agency.

The Sockers had begun as an NASL franchise, but had twice spent the winter playing in Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).

[21] Schmetzer spent a few years with the Emerald City Football Club, coaching youth soccer, while also managing a construction business shared with Dick McCormick.

General manager Adrian Hanauer called Schmetzer and asked him if he was interested in the job, interviewing the then-youth coach at a coffee shop on Capitol Hill.

[25] The Sounders' record, including a 14–2–0 start, was credited to Schmetzer's use of veteran players and key free-agent signings to boost offensive capabilities.

In 2005, Schmetzer again took the Sounders to the championship game (under the re-branded USL First Division), and defeated the Richmond Kickers in penalty kicks to take the title.

The job eventually went to Sigi Schmid, who had previously coached the Los Angeles Galaxy and Columbus Crew, while Schmetzer took the role as the top assistant.

[31] Schmezter filled in as head coach of the team in place of Schmid on four occasions from 2009 to 2015, winning three matches and losing one.

[36] The Sounders would win their first MLS Cup on December 10, 2016, defeating Toronto FC in a penalty shootout, and repeated as Western Conference champions the following season.

In the ensuing penalty shootout, Portland won 4–2; the home leg is considered to be one of the best playoff matches in league history due to its dramatic finish.

It was his 212th match in charge and made him the third-fastest coach in league history to reach 100 victories behind Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena—both during the shootout era.