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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football
Sep 13 (Sat)
6:00 or 6:45 PM
- Title:
- Special Teams Coordinator
- Year at Ole Miss:
- Third
- Email:
- rebelfootball@olemiss.edu
- Phone:
- 662-915-7890
- Alma Mater:
- Missouri Western (2008)
Jake Schoonover enters 2025 in his third season at Ole Miss, serving as the assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and nickelbacks coach.
Schoonover's special teams unit was highlighted by an all-around excellent kicking game in 2024, with All-American senior kicker Caden Davis and fellow senior and punter Fraser Masin leading the way.
Davis, a first team All-American by the College Football Network, broke Ole Miss single-season records in both total points scored and points kicking with 129 on the season after going 24-of-29 on field goals and 57-of-59 on PATs -- including an Ole Miss single-game record 10-of-10 line against Furman. Davis also nailed a crucial 57-yard field at LSU, which set a new Tiger Stadium record, which tied him with Cloyce Hinton for the most career makes from at least 55 yards out at two apiece. Davis left Ole Miss as its career record holder in 50-yard field goals (4), and in 2024 led the nation with 82 touchbacks.
Masin had his best season as a Rebel to date, helping Ole Miss rank third in the nation with a net punting average of 44.31, which stands as the best net punting mark in school history and tied for the 24th-best in FBS history. Masin, a semifinalist for the Ray Guy, put together the third-best single-season average at 46.6 yards per punt with a long of 65, a total of 16 downed inside the 20 and 14 that traveled at least 50 yards.
With the Rebels in 2023, Schoonover led an Ole Miss special teams squad that led the SEC and ranked fourth in the FBS in kickoff return defense (14.3 yards/return) and was 10th in the FBS with three blocked kicks -- all three by defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, who sealed victory against Texas A&M with a blocked field goal as time expired. Schoonover’s 2023 squad also took a punt back to the house, as wide receiver Jordan Watkins returned on 70 yards in the season opener vs. Mercer, the first punt return TD by a Rebel team since 2013.
Key for the Rebels in 2023 was the emergence of kicker Caden Davis, who went from kickoff specialist at Texas A&M to bonafide deep threat at Ole Miss. Davis was 18-of-23 on the year, including 5-of-7 from 40 yards or further. Davis nailed what ended up being a game-winning 56-yarder at No. 22 Tulane -- the longest by a Rebel since 1988 -- and he ended the year a perfect 45-of-45 on PATs, the 20th kicker to do so in Ole Miss history and the first since 2015.
Schoonover, who spent last season at Arkansas State as special teams coordinator and safeties coach, has 13 years of experience coaching at the collegiate level.
In Schoonover’s one season with the Red Wolves, he helped A-State rank No. 35 nationally in kickoff returns (21.7 yards per return) and No. 34 in kickoff return defense (18.04 yards per return). He also mentored true freshman kicker Dominic Zvada. A Lou Groza Award semifinalist and freshman All-American, Zvada broke the Sun Belt Conference single-season record by a true freshman for points by kicking in a season with 81, going 17-for-18 in field goal attempts in 2022.
Schoonover joined Arkansas State after spending the 2021 season at Kansas as the Jayhawks’ special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
Under Schoonover’s direction, Kansas ranked second in the nation in kickoff return defense (12.7 ypr), 11th in punt returns (13.5 ypr) and 38th in kickoff returns (23.0 ypr). He helped the Jayhawks kickoff unit improve their national ranking from 127th in 2020 to second in 2021, while their ranking in punt returns led the Big 12 Conference and jumped from 128th to 11th during Schoonover’s lone season with the program.
Immediately prior to his time at Kansas, Schoonover spent three seasons at Bowling Green. He joined the staff in 2018 as linebackers coach, before adding special teams responsibilities one season later. He also coached safeties during his time with the Falcons.
In 2020, Bowling Green was second in the MAC in kickoff returns and fourth in punt returns. The Falcons also ranked fifth in field goal percent- age and were perfect on extra-point attempts. During the 2019 campaign, Bowling Green’s special teams unit blocked a punt, blocked a field goal and forced two muffed kicks in the same game, topping rival Toledo 20-7.
Also in 2020, linebacker Darren Anders finished fifth in the MAC in tackles per game at 11.0 and was named Academic All-MAC.
Prior to his time at Bowling Green, Schoonover spent seven seasons at Illinois State. He began his career with the Redbirds as the linebackers coach in 2011, before adding the title of special teams coordinator in 2013.
Schoonover mentored some of the top linebackers in the history of the Illinois State program during his time there, including middle linebacker Pat Meehan, who earned back-to-back first-team all-conference honors.
In his role as special teams coordinator, Schoonover worked with kicker Nick Aussieker, who finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 310 points. In 2014, punter CJ Laros earned second-team all-conference honors and averaged 40.6 yards per punt, which went down as the third-best single-season mark in school history.
The Redbirds also had a prolific return game under Schoonover, similar to Bowling Green. In his first year, Illinois State returned both a punt and a kickoff in the same season for the first time in more than five years. Punt returner Tevin Allen also earned postseason honors for the Redbirds, averaging a league-best 27.9 yards per return.
Schooonver spent the 2010 season at Illinois Wesleyan, where he coached defensive backs and assisted with special teams duties. In 2009, Schoonover was an assistant at Illinois State, working with the program’s offensive line and wide receivers.
He played collegiately at Missouri Western State, where he started 30 games at linebacker and was a team captain. He played two seasons for the arena league Peoria Pirates as a linebacker and wide receiver.
A native of Mound City, Missouri, Schoonover earned a degree in physical education from Missouri Western in 2008 and received a master’s degree in sports management with a concentration in administration in 2010 from American Public University. Schoonover and his wife, Katherine, have one son, Jackson, and one daughter, Kenley.
