Jake Schoonover begins his seventh season as a member of the Illinois State coaching staff, working with the Redbird linebackers at ISU. He also begins his fifth season as the special team coordinator at ISU.

Last season, Schoonover led a veteran linebacker room of three senior starters. Middle linebacker Alejandro Rivera was a 2016 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Honorable Mention selection after he led the team in tackles and tied for eighth in the MVFC in tackles per game (7.9) and total tackles (95). Outside linebacker BJ Bello also earned MVFC All-Newcomer Team honors and is currently on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns.
    
Schoonover also helped mold middle linebacker Pat Meehan into one of the best linebackers in the MVFC and the FCS. For the second time in as many years, Meehan earned All-MVFC First-Team honors at linebacker for the Redbirds in 2015. He started all 11 games at middle linebacker and led the team with 86 total tackles, which ranked No. 11 in the MVFC at 7.8 tackles per game.

In 2014, Meehan earned All-MVFC First-Team honors at middle linebacker and led the with 115 tackles as a junior.  As a sophomore, Meehan led the Redbirds with 82 tackles and added two sacks in 2013, despite missing two games due to injury. For his efforts, Meehan was named a second-team All-MVFC performer. Schoonover also helped Mike Zimmer earn First-Team All-MVFC honors in 2012 and finished his career tied for 13th all-time at ISU with 269 total tackles.

In his duties as special team coordinator, Schoonover helped long snapper Chris Highland become a two-time All-American earning First-Team honors in 2014. 

worked with kicker Nick Aussieker, who finished his career as ISU’s all-time leading scorer with 310 points.  In 2014, Australian punter CJ Laros also earned All-MVFC second-team honors at punter, after averaging 40.6 yards per punts, the third-best single-season mark in school history.  Punt returner Tevin Allen also earned All-MVFC Honorable Mention plaudits as a kick returner, averaging a league-best 27.9 yards per return. 

The 2013 Redbirds also returned a pair of kicks for touchdowns, which included a 100-yard kickoff return by Josh Burch and a 62-yard punt return by Anthony Warrum. It marked the first time since 2008 in which the Redbird returned a kickoff and punt for touchdown in the same season.

When Spack took over the defensive coordinator duties prior to the 2011 season, he sought out an assistant coach to work primarily with the Redbird linebackers and assist with day-to-day duties. 

Spack found that man in Schoonover, who helped turn around the Redbird defense in 2011 and worked with First-Team All-MVFC performer Evan Frierson and Josh Howe, who was named to the All-MVFC Honorable Mention Team.

He was no stranger to the Illinois State football program. In 2009, he served as a volunteer assistant coach working with the Redbird offensive line and wide receivers on Spack’s first staff at ISU.

Schoonover came to Illinois State, after spending one season on the Illinois Wesleyan coaching staff working with the defensive backs for head coach Norm Eash in 2010. Schoonover also assisted with special teams duties and served as the junior varsity team’s defensive coordinator, leading them to a 6-0 record with three shutouts.

Schoonover was the defensive ends coach at his alma mater, Missouri Western State, for a season before working with the Redbirds in 2009. During his career at Missouri Western State, Schoonover started in 30 games at linebacker and was a team captain for the Griffons.

Following his collegiate career, he played linebacker and wide receiver in 2008 and 2009 for the arena league Peoria Pirates, serving as team captain in 2009.

Schoonover earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from MWSU in 2008 and received a master’s degree in 2010 from American Public University. 

He and his wife, Katherine, reside in Normal, Ill., with their son, Jackson.