The former CMU defensive line coach is the new head football coach at Grand Rapids Community College. He also is the co-athletic director and teaches in the physical education department.

“Basically all I’ve done is got a new house and a new neighborhood,” Schulte said. “I’ve moved out of town and I represent another institution, but I’ll never ever sever the ties with CMU football. It would be impossible to.”

Schulte came to CMU in 1970 to play football. He earned three letters for the Chippewas and set a single-season record in 1973 with 151 tackles — a record that stood until future NFL standout Ray Bentley topped it with 173 in 1982.

Schulte started coaching the defensive ends at CMU in 1975.

He became a full-time coach in 1977 and was with the Chippewas for 26 seasons before leaving in March.

“I think that Jim Schulte probably has as strong of a commitment toward Central Michigan football as any person I’ve ever been around as a coach,” said football Head Coach Mike DeBord. “There’s a lot of coaches that coach for their alma maters and they’ll go on and leave, but he didn’t because of his love of Central Michigan football.”

Schulte said he is fortunate to have stayed at CMU. He had opportunities to look elsewhere but stayed for his love of the school, he said.

“I feel so very fortunate to have been able to stay on that length of time — basically 33 years being associated with Central Michigan football, as a player and as a coach,” Schulte said. “I didn’t look at it as an accomplishment. It was more of an act of love.”

Athletics Director Herb Deromedi had the opportunity to work with Schulte for many years.

“I’ve known him from the start and it’s been a great relationship while he was here and one I feel will continue long after,” Deromedi said.

Deromedi said Schulte was both an excellent player and coach.

“He’s played a significant role in Central Michigan University football. He was the total experience,” he said.

DeBord said going to Grand Rapids was a good decision for Schulte.

“I think he’ll do very well. He’s well-organized and well-respected,” he said. “Grand Rapids is the only community college with football in Michigan. I think he’ll draw from that.”

GRCC plays in the North Central Community College league with four schools from Illinois — DuPage, Harper, Joliet and Rock Valley.

“It’s a totally different animal. It’s a two-year program instead of a four-year,” Schulte said. “The people are young guys who maybe didn’t quite have the academic abilities to get into a four-year school.

“It’s one of those deals where I have a lot to offer a young man. I got a different breed of kid and there are some awfully, awfully good ones who are looking for an opportunity.”

Schulte said he became aware of the position opening in December when he was making his recruiting trip around the state. He said he had been familiar with the program from recruiting in the area for the past 15 years.

“I knew the program and the coach very well,” he said. “Over the years, I would joke around with him about how this would be a great job. I was being facetious at the time but I was always aware of how good of an opportunity it was.”

Schulte said he found out through general conversation that Julian was retiring.

“Several different people said ‘God it might be a perfect fit for you.’ It was just idle chit-chat at the time, but it gave me something to think about,” he said.

Schulte said he lost interest after Gov. Jennifer Granholm put a freeze on the job, but the college insisted on pursuing him.

“It was very reminiscent of recruiting,” he said. “They kept coming and coming, and it was too good of a situation to pass up at this juncture in my life, and their persistence paid off.”

Schulte said the position offers a lot of different opportunities for him and he liked that it was all packaged together.

“Everyone is aware of the head coach responsibilities, but I’ve also got athletic director responsibilities now, which is very different from what I’ve done in the past 28 years,” he said.

Schulte will draw from past experiences in his new position.

“We played in some huge ballgames,” he said. “Probably the biggest ballgames in my mind were each and every year that we lined up to play Western Michigan, and I think that stems from my playing days.”

Schulte said the most notable games were the two wins against Michigan State in the early 1990s and the MAC Championship win against Bowling Green in 1994 during his first year as defensive coordinator.

“To come in as an underdog like that, those are probably the biggest wins in this program history,” Schulte said. “I was proud to be on the sideline for that.”

Schulte leaves for head spot at GRCC

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