Hall of Fame
Jeff Thorne’s tenure as the 25th head football coach in North Central College history was historic, as he guided the program to its first NCAA Division III national title in 2019. While on staff, the Cardinals made 12 appearances in the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs, which included a runner-up finish in the 2021 national title game in what would be Thorne’s final season at the helm.
Thorne began his coaching career at North Central in 2002 as the offensive coordinator, working alongside his father, John Thorne HOF’16, until John’s retirement in 2015. He was promoted to assistant head coach prior to the 2010 season and officially took over as head coach on January 15, 2015. He focused on recruiting high school football players and turning them into great men.
"My approach to recruiting is about developing the whole person and building great men: All-American husbands, fathers, sons, employees, and bosses, Thorne said. "I always had my Cardinal Manual ready, and every recruit who came into my office was exposed to it. It’s the manual we used to develop the character-building initiative during my time at North Central. When families hear coaches say they’ll help their son become a better man but don’t see anything tangible, it doesn’t resonate. Most people are visual learners, so I felt it was important to show them what we’d deliver—it’s real, not just recruit talk. Your son will grow as a human being because we’ll be intentional about it. We won’t leave it to chance or hope he has the right conversations in the dorm. We’ll make it a priority to ensure every player has opportunities to talk about things beyond football with their teammates."
In six seasons as head coach, he led the Cardinals to a 65–10 overall record, including a dominant 46–4 mark in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play. Under Thorne’s leadership, North Central won four CCIW titles, and the program claimed eight more while he was an assistant coach. The Cardinals made six consecutive NCAA Division III postseason appearances from 2016 to 2021 with Thorne on the coaching staff.
"The turning point for the football program was November 30, 2019, when we went to the University of Mount Union and knocked off the Purple Power, he said. "That’s when I knew things were going to be different moving forward."
Named the 2019 D3football.com National Coach of the Year, Thorne also guided quarterback Broc Rutter to becoming the program’s first-ever recipient of the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy, awarded to the top Division III football student-athlete.
"It was well-earned, but there’s no way Broc Rutter does what he does without Andrew Kaminski on the other end, the rest of that receiving corps, and more importantly, the offensive line," he said. "You don’t win games alone—you need a great defense too. These are team awards."
In total, Thorne’s players earned 41 All-American honors during his six seasons as head coach. From 2002 to 2021, players under his guidance accumulated 72 All-American awards, 110 All-Region selections, and 143 First Team All-CCIW honors. Thorne’s offensive units rewrote the program’s record books, setting 59 career, single-season, and single-game school records by the time of his departure. He was named the CCIW Bob Reade Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2021, and earned the American Football Coaches Association Region 4 Coach of the Year award in 2016.
