Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-532
Story written by secondary contact Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu
NAPERVILLE, Ill., Dec. 8, 2025 — North Central College assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Shane Dierking has been named a finalist by FootballScoop for the Division III 2025 Coach of the Year Award presented by TeamWorks.
FootballScoop receives nominations from fellow coaches across all levels of NCAA and NAIA football and separates nominees by division, with FBS schools having awards for each position group and coordinator positions and every other level having general coordinator awards.
This year's list of finalists comprises 89 individuals, with the winners selected in January by past recipients of the honor.
The other Division III finalists are Colin Duling of Bethel University, Kole Heckendorf of St. John's University, Joe Matheson of the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, Ryan McElwain of DePauw University and Matt Tschetter of Wartburg University.
Dierking won the award after the 2022 season, a year in which the Cardinals finished undefeated and claimed the program's second national championship.
This season, the Cardinals are 12-0, thanks in large part to the defensive unit led by Dierking that ranks among the nation's best in numerous statistical categories.
Nationally, the Cardinals are seventh in third-down conversion rate (26.9%), second in fourth-down conversion rate (20.8%), second in defensive touchdowns (six), first in red zone defense (50.0%), ninth in rushing defense (62.8 yards per game), first in scoring defense (8.3 points per game) and first in total defense (219.6 yards per game).
Dierking was a record-breaking player for the Cardinals in his playing days, appearing in a program-record 51 contests from 2010 to 2013 and being named the D3football.com North Region Defensive Player of the Year after his senior season. He also holds program records for single-season interceptions (eight) and career interceptions (16).
He joined the coaching staff in 2018 as defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2022 under head coach Brad Spencer, who won the award in 2019 for his work as offensive coordinator.
Dierking and the Cardinals take on the only other remaining undefeated team in Division III football, Bethel, on Saturday at noon inside Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium.
Read the full release from FootballScoop online.
