Schaefer finished his second season as the Blue Streaks defensive coordinator.
In his first season in 2018, the John Carroll defense led Division III in sacks, averaging 5.19 per game. His side of the ball also led the Ohio Athletic Conference in rushing defense. Schaefer led the defense to eight players to All-OAC accolades, five of them under the first team award.
Schaefer spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons with Iowa State as the football program's Director of Scouting. The 2017 campaign was a memorable one at ISU as the Cyclones compiled an 8-5 record which included three wins over ranked opponents, and marked the team's first appearance in the Associated Press national rankings in 12 years.
Before heading to Iowa State, Schaefer spent a brief time at the University of Maryland in 2016 as the defensive quality control coach.
A native of Parma Heights, Ohio, Schaefer was named the head coach at Cleveland's Benedictine High School in 2013 after serving as an assistant coach at the school in 2011-2012. Under Schaefer, the Bengals amassed a 35-6 record in three years and captured the Ohio Division IV state title in 2014. The Bengals also reached the Division III state quarterfinals in 2015.
Schaefer was a two-time team captain for Benedictine in his high school playing days and earned first-team Division III all-Ohio honors as a linebacker in 2002 and 2003. He played his college football at Bowling Green State University, making 44 tackles and four sacks in his final two seasons and appeared in the GMAC Bowl twice.
His first coaching jobs were at the University of Findlay (2009) the University of Toledo (2010-2011), where he served as a graduate assistant before returning to Benedictine.
Schaefer will return home to Cleveland with his wife Maura and daughter Mairin. He replaced
Kyle Hoke, who took a coaching position with Texas State University, as John Carroll's defensive coordinator.
