Jon Schaus officiated in the international styles since 1972, working some two dozen USA Wrestling national events and serving as assignments chief at most of them.

He has officiated two senior World Championships, six age-group Worlds, two World cups, the Goodwill Games, Pan American Games and Canada Cup, along with international dual meets and tournaments in France, East Germany and the Soviet Union. He was USA Wrestling Official of the Year in 1979 and twice was named Official of the Year by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches Association. He received his USA Exceptionnelle in 1978 and his International Exceptionnelle in 1989.

Schaus has served 15 years on the board of directors of the US Wrestling Officials Association, serving as President in 1987-88. He has refereed high school wrestling since 1966, including more than a dozen Illinois High School Association state finals. Schaus began officiating college competition in 1970 and has worked the Big Ten championships, the Midlands, NCAA qualifiers, NJCAA, NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III championships. He officiated the Olympics in 1984 and 1996 as well as the Olympic Trials from 1984 to 2000. He worked 10 military interservice championships, 25 Junior/Cadet National Championships and more than 15 Senior National freestyle and Greco-Roman championships.

Schaus was a four-year letterman, a two-time conference champion, a three-time qualifier for the Oregon state high school tournament and a team captain. He lettered four years at Concordia University in Nebraska and won a conference title and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament as a senior.

He began his coaching career in 1970 at Luther North High School in Chicago and led his team to consecutive conference championships. In 1973, Schaus took over at Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois, and led his teams to three conference titles and two Illinois High School Association regional championships. He became head coach at Geneva High School in Geneva, Illinois in 1987 and his team qualified for the Final Eight at the IHSA Dual Team State Championships in 1991. As a coach, Schaus had one state champion, nine state qualifiers or place-winners and numerous regional, sectional and conference champions.