FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
  
Nov. 16, 2010 - The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin has selected North Central College head coach John Thorne as the CCIW's Football Coach of the Year. The CCIW released the award along with its annual All-Conference selections on Tuesday.

Thorne, in his ninth season as the Cardinals' head coach, was voted the conference's top coach for the second time in three seasons after leading North Central to a perfect 10-0 regular season and outright possession of the CCIW Championship. The Cardinals have now won or shared the CCIW title in each of the past five seasons.

A 28-6 victory over Wheaton College on Nov. 6 gave Thorne the North Central career record for coaching victories, surpassing the 74 victories compiled by North Central Athletics Hall of Famer Gordon Fisher from 1926-42. Thorne's record with the Cardinals currently stands at 76-21.

Thorne will guide the Cardinals into the NCAA Division III Playoffs for the fifth time this Saturday, as North Central hosts St. Norbert College (Wis.) in a first-round game at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. Naperville Community Television, Channel 17, will provide a live video broadcast than can also be accessed at www.nctv17.com, North Central's campus radio station, 89.1-FM WONC, will carry a live audio broadcast, and live in-game statistics can be accessed at northcentralcardinals.com.