SCHAEFER UP CLOSE

PERSONAL

Birthdate: June 23, 1985
Hometown: Parma Heights, Ohio
Education: Bowling Green (B.S., 2009)

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

2005-08: Bowling Green

COACHING Experience

2009: Findlay (Defensive Graduate Assistant/Defensive Line)
2010: Toledo (Defensive Graduate Assistant/Defensive Ends)
2011-12: Cleveland’s Benedictine High School (Defensive Coordinator)
2013-15: Cleveland’s Benedictine High School (Head Coach)
2016 (Spring): Maryland (Defensive Quality Control/Defensive Line)
2016-17: Iowa State (Director of Scouting)
2018-19: John Carroll (Defensive Coordinator/Secondary)
2020-21: Youngstown State (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2022: Texas A&M (Defensive Analyst)
2023-: Texas A&M (Defensive Assistant)

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE

Player
2007: GMAC (Bowling Green)
2008: GMAC (Bowling Green)
Coach
2010: Little Caesar's Pizza (Toledo)
2017: Liberty (Iowa State)
2018: John Carroll (DIII Natl Playoff Team)

Joe Schaefer enters his first season as a fulltime defensive assistant coach working with coordinator DJ Durkin. Schaefer came to Texas A&M in the fall of 2022 to serve as a defensive analyst after serving as the defensive coordinator at Youngstown State University (2020-21) where he worked with the safeties.

The Penguins’ defensive unit finished No. 25 in total defense and No. 11 in the country in passing yards allowed in 2020.

Schaefer served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at John Carroll University in 2018-19. His defensive unit had high marks as a multiple system taking advantage of the talents of his players. In his first season with the Blue Streaks defense, the team led Division III in sacks, averaging 5.19 per game and the rushing defense finished No. 10 in the country and led the Ohio Athletic Conference. In his second season, the overall play of the defense improved in several categories: total defense ranked No. 24 in 2018 and improved to No. 8 in 2019; scoring defense improved from No. 29 in 2018 to No. 4 in 2019; pass defense improved from No. 117 in 2018 to No. 8 in 2019; and the third-down defense improved from No. 70 to No. 9 in 2019.

Before moving to University Heights in Ohio, Schaefer was the director of scouting for Iowa State for two seasons 2016-2017 helping assemble terrific recruiting classes. The 2017 ISU recruiting class was the top-ranked class in school history.

Schaefer first worked with Durkin at the University of Maryland during the spring of 2016. Durkin was the head coach and hired Schaefer as a defensive quality control coach working primarily with the defensive line and organizing and operating meetings and preparing practice plans.

A native of Parma Heights, Ohio, Schaeferserved as a head coach at Cleveland’s Benedictine High School in 2013-2015 after serving as an assistant coach at the school in 2011 and 2012. With Schaefer as head coach, the Bengals finished with an overall record of 35-6 during his career and captured the Ohio Division IV state title in 2014 (14-1 record) and reached the Division III state quarterfinals in 2015 (12-1). His squads put together a 24-game winning streak. He was honored as the North Coast League Coach of the Year honors all three seasons.

Schaefer played high school football at Benedictine and was a two-time team captain and earned first-team Division III All-Ohio honors as a linebacker in 2002 and 2003.

He played college football at Bowling Green where he was a three-year letterman and a two-year starter for the Falcons. He made 44 tackles and had four sacks in his last two seasons and appeared in the GMAC Bowl both seasons. Schaefer earned his degree in 2009.

Upon graduation, Schaefer worked at the University of Findlay in 2009 and the University of Toledo in 2010 and 2011 serving as a graduate assistant before making his way back to Benedictine High School to coach.

Schaefer and his wife, Maura, have one daughter, Mairin, and a son, Joseph.