WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Otterbein University football program has gained a pair of new full-time assistant coaches, with head coach Tommy Zagorski recently adding Jake Schaefer (offensive coordinator) and Anthony Cicione (defensive coordinator) to the staff.

Both coaches, reuniting with Zagorski after working together at previous stops in the football world, are familiar with the Ohio Athletic Conference after graduating from John Carroll University.

"These two will be exciting additions not just to our program, but the athletic department as a whole and entire campus," Zagorski said with excitement. "You will see them around all the time, pouring into our young men. I'm eager to watch them start developing lifelong relationships with our players and community."

Schaefer most recently worked as the lead assistant coach at Gilmour Academy under Zagorski, serving as OC while also guiding the quarterbacks and junior varsity program. The Lancers went 9-2 in his first season as a play caller and produced three all-state players on the offensive side of the ball.

"This means a lot… I'm very grateful to Coach Z and Otterbein for providing me this opportunity," Schaefer began. "Becoming a college coordinator has been a dream of mine, so I'm ready to dive in head first and give this everything I can…"

Schaefer has previous coaching stops with Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Case Western Reserve and John Carroll… serving as offensive quality control and/or quarterbacks coach at each place. He also spent one season after college as a player/coach and captain for the Munich Cowboys, a professional team in Germany.

A Cleveland area native, Schaefer spent three years as a backup QB at John Carroll before earning the starting job (and team captain honors) as a senior in 2015. The savvy signal caller led the Blue Streaks to an 8-2 record that fall, completing 59% of his passes for 22 touchdowns in the process.

"I am very appreciative of my college experience," continued Schaefer, who originally committed to Otterbein before flipping to JCU. "I developed a passion for coaching while waiting to become a starter – embracing details of our system, building trust in relationships, putting in hours behind the scenes. We do this (at this level) for the love of the game. I want to give back and recruit kids who are passionate about the educational balance of football and academics."

Cicione (pronounced Chuh-cho-nee) comes to Otterbein after spending the last two seasons at Slippery Rock University, serving as a defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach. During his time on staff, "The Rock" went a combined 19-6 and made the NCAA Division II Playoffs both times. The team finished this past season ranked No. 16 nationally.

When Cicione first arrived to Slippery Rock, the team had allowed opponents to throw for an average of 228 yards per game the previous season. In his first campaign, the defense ranked sixth nationally and set a new single-season record in fewest passing yards allowed (143/gm).

"I am definitely excited to get going," said Cicione, who also holds previous coaching experience at Akron, EKU and Case Western Reserve. "Being able to reunite with Coach Z, and specifically the family aspect that he brings to the culture of a program, is something I admire and don't take for granted. Coach Schaefer has also been a valuable co-worker of mine in the past… so I'm ready to see what we can accomplish in this next chapter…"

Cicione is also no stranger to the OAC, having played two years at Capital University before finishing his career up north at John Carroll. The standout defensive back was named All-OAC for Capital after leading the league in interceptions. He then became part of a decorated two-year stretch at JCU in the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

The Blue Streaks posted a combined 21-2 record in the span, winning the 2016 OAC championship before a memorable run to the NCAA semifinals. John Carroll defeated a pair of No. 1-ranked teams that season in Mount Union (31-28) and Wisconsin-Whitewater (31-14).

"The game of football, and balancing that with being a student at the college level, has taught me a lot regarding time management and working through adversity," Cicione added. "Getting into this profession has allowed me to start passing down those life lessons to other kids. I hope to bring a lot of that to Otterbein, while learning new things from this next generation as well."

Both Schaefer and Cicione are scheduled to officially begin on campus this coming Monday. Stay tuned for more staff updates and general information regarding Otterbein Football!