Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

2016 AFCA Regional Coaches of the Year

Dec. 6, 2016 - North Central College head football coach Jeff Thorne has been named the NCAA Division III Region 4 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This year's group of 25 regional honorees was announced Tuesday.

Thorne is one of five Division III Regional Coach of the Year selections, joining Bob Rankl of Alfred University (New York), Jim Margraff of Johns Hopkins University (Maryland), Pete Fredenburg of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) and Tyler Staker of Coe College (Iowa). The winners are selected by active members of the Association who vote for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.

Also voted the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin's (CCIW) Bob Reade Coach of the Year this season, Thorne recently completed his second season as the Cardinals' head coach after 13 seasons as the program's offensive coordinator. North Central posted an overall record of 11-1, including the fourth perfect 10-0 regular season in the program's history, in 2016 and won its ninth CCIW Championship in the past 11 seasons. The Cardinals also made their ninth appearance in the NCAA Division III Football Championship.

North Central was the Division III national leader in quarterback sacks per game (4.25) this season and set team single-season records for sacks (51) and tackles for loss (107). The Cardinals also ranked sixth nationally in passing efficiency (170.99), 11th in tackles for loss per game (8.9), 18th in total defense (285.3 yards allowed per game), 23rd in scoring defense (16.6 points allowed per game) and 26th in scoring offense (39.3 points per game).

Thorne is the first North Central coach to win one of the AFCA's Regional Coach of the Year awards. The regional winners in each division are the finalists for the AFCA's National Coach of the Year Award. Each Regional Coach of the Year will be formally recognized Jan. 10 in Nasvhille, Tennessee during the AFCA's annual convention.