The coaching climb continues for Joe Schaefer.
A former Texas A&M assistant coach who spent the 2024-25 seasons on Fran Brown's Syracuse Orange staff as the program's defensive backs coach, Schaefer is joining first-year UConn coach Jason Candle's staff, sources tell FootballScoop.
Schaefer, who also has Football Championship Subdivision experience as a defensive coordinator at Youngstown State, will coach the UConn defensive line for Candle, the former Toledo coach who was hired atop the Huskies program after Jim Mora departed for the top job at Colorado State.
An Ohio native who played his college ball at Bowling Green, earning three letters and being a two-year starter at linebacker, Schaefer also has coached at the Power Conference level in two additional stops on his journey.
He spent the 2016 season on staff with the Maryland Terps and logged two years on staff at Iowa State under former Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell, now in his first year atop the Penn State program.
Schaefer helped coach multiple all-conference selections at Syracuse, including developing Notre Dame transfer Clarence Lewis into an All-ACC selection.
Candle takes over at UConn after 11 seasons and 81 wins at Mid-American Conference program Toledo, which won three MAC divisional titles and two overall conference crowns under his leadership.
The Huskies open their 2026 season Sept. 5 at home against FCS program Lafayette; UConn then hosts Big Ten Conference resident Maryland a week later.
UConn hosts Schaefer's former team, Syracuse, Oct. 3.