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| Jeff Thorne was head coach at North Central for six seasons, following his father, John Thorne, as the two built the Cardinals program into one which could compete for and win national titles. Photo by Doug Sasse, d3photography.com |
North Central athletic director Jim Miller has announced the promotion of Brad Spencer, a 2004 graduate of North Central, to the position of head football coach, becoming the 26th head coach in the history of the Cardinals' program.
Spencer replaces Jeff Thorne, who posted an overall record of 65-10 in six seasons as head coach, which included five Division III postseason appearances, four College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championships, two trips to the national championship game and the program's first Division III national title in 2019.
A member of the North Central coaching staff since graduation, Spencer has served as the team's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator since 2015, playing a key role in the program's rise to national prominence at the NCAA Division III level.
The 2019 D3football.com National Coach of the Year and two-time CCIW Coach of the Year is set to join the coaching staff at Western Michigan, where reports have him taking the offensive coordinator position.
"Our football program will benefit from Coach Thorne's time here for many years to come," Miller said. "We all want to recognize and thank him for his leadership and role in elevating the program to a place of national respect."
"Brad is perfectly suited for this position," Miller said. "He possesses all the important leadership and visionary qualities needed to carry on and elevate the traditions of Cardinal football. He's been integral to establishing a winning culture in the program and setting a high standard of excellence in academics as well as athletics."
A four-year letter winner and 2003 Second Team All-CCIW selection who graduated as the Cardinals' all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions, Spencer has guided one of the nation's most potent offenses. A Cardinal has been named the CCIW Art Keller Offensive Player of the Year each of the last five seasons and the team has averaged just over 52 points per game over the past two seasons.
He was named the FootballScoop.com Division III Coordinator of the Year in 2019 after the Cardinals rolled up a school-record 777 points and set six CCIW single-season offensive records before capping off the campaign with a 41-14 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Shenandoah, Texas.
"I'm honored and humbled to be following in the footsteps of John Thorne and Jeff Thorne," said Spencer, who was a junior on the first North Central team coached by John Thorne, the Cardinals' all-time leader in coaching victories, in 2002. "They've both been such great coaching mentors for me and have built the program into what it is today.
"I'm excited to continue to build upon the football tradition that we've all worked so hard to develop here. Our mission will continue to be the development of our young men, while giving them a first-class experience on and off the field."
Spencer takes over in his new position immediately and returns the rest of the Cardinals' full-time coaching staff as the program prepares for its quest to reach a third straight Stagg Bowl in 2022.
"It's difficult to find a better ambassador for North Central College or its football program than Brad Spencer," said North Central president Dr. Troy Hammond. "In its earliest days, Brad was part of the building of the tradition we now enjoy and I'm thrilled to watch him continue to motivate, inspire and lead student-athletes in this capacity."
The Cardinals went 13-1 in 2021, winning their 15th CCIW championship and advancing to the Stagg Bowl for the second straight season.