The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
JCU coordinator Schaefer leaving
The John Carroll football program has lost both of its coordinators in less than a week. According to a source, defensive coordinator Joe Schaefer is leaving for Youngstown State.
The John Carroll football program has lost both of its coordinators in less than a week.
According to a source, defensive coordinator Joe Schaefer is leaving JCU for the same position at FCS Youngstown State.
Footballscoop.com reported on Feb. 10 Schaefer was joining new YSU head coach Doug Phillips’ staff as the defensive coordinator. Phillips was named as Bo Pelini’s replacement last week after Pelini left to become the defensive coordinator at LSU.
Schaefer and Phillips have ties dating to their days at Iowa State. In 2016, Phillips was the Cyclones’ director of player personnel and Schaefer was the director of scouting. Schaefer also spent the 2017 season at Iowa State.
Schaefer was also one of two finalists for the Division
III Wisconsin-La Crosse head coaching job that eventually went to Matt Janus.
The news of Schaefer’s departure comes less than a week after Jeff Fink stepped down from his position as offensive coordinator for “personal reasons.” Fink made that announcement to the team on Feb. 4.
Fink — an assistant at Mentor and head coach at Brush before his time at JCU — and Schaefer arrived at JCU in 2018 and under head coach Rick Finotti helped the Blue Streaks to an 18-3 record in two seasons, including an NCAA D-III playoff appearance in 2018.
The pair played together at Bowling Green in the mid-2000s. Schaefer was a defensive lineman and Fink an offensive lineman.
Schaefer had great success at his alma mater Benedictine when he was named head coach in 2013 after serving as an assistant coach at the school in 2011 and 2012. Under Schaefer, the Bengals were 35-6 in three years and won the D-IV state title in 2014.
A year later, the Bengals also reached the D-III state quarterfinals.
JCU was successful on defensive under the guidance of Finotti and Schaefer. In 2018, the unit led the nation in D-III in sacks per game, as it averaged 5.19. The Blue Streaks also led the Ohio Athletic Conference in rushing defense, and had eight players named All-OAC, including five first-teamers.
The JCU defense was also very good last season. It posted two shutouts — plus four more games in which it gave up 10 points or less — and allowed 11.5 points and 237.3 yards per game as the Blue Streaks were 9-1 and the runner-up to Mount Union in the OAC.
Attempts to contact Schaefer were unsuccessful.