D-I era first: Glenn Caruso gets Pioneer Coach of the Year

St. Paul, Minn. -- Glenn Caruso's coaching resume added another impressive entry on Monday. Caruso was selected as Pioneer Football Coach of the Year after leading the Tommies to an 8-0 run through the conference en route to a 10-1 overall record and a No. 19 national ranking in FCS.

Caruso's 143-25 record here over 14 seasons includes a 100-14 mark against conference opponents. His overall .850 winning clip ranks him in the top five for all active NCAA football coaches.

For the second consecutive season, Caruso has made the finalist list for FCS's Eddie Robinson Award as National Coach of the Year. Caruso finished ninth in the 2021 Eddie Robinson Award voting that was won by Jackson State's Deion Sanders.

He has previously won Division III National Coach of the Year six times: two from the AFCA (2012, 2015); three by Liberty Mutual (2010-, 2011, 2012); and one by American Football Monthly Magazine (2011).

He was a six-time MIAC Coach of the Year and becomes the first St. Thomas coach in any sport to be selected conference Coach of the Year in the D-I era. His 2022 Tommies were the first St. Thomas team to win a conference championship and crack the D-I national top-20 poll.

Caruso's Tommies team have built several impressive winning streaks over the years. With Clemson's home loss last Saturday, the Toms current lead all NCAA football teams in most consecutive home-field wins at 26, with Alabama and North Central (Ill.) next at 20 home wins in a row.

Dream Season

Picked for third place in the Pioneer Football League, St. Thomas lost 44-13 on the road in the 2022 season opener at Southern Utah, then reeled off 10 consecutive victories. The Toms beat 2021 conference co-champions Davidson and San Diego in the same month en route to an 8-0 conference finish.

St. Thomas, 17-4 in its FCS era, is ineligible to compete in NCAA postseason play (including the FCS playoffs) over the next few seasons as part of its transition into full Division I membership.

Of the two dozen programs to join FCS since 2004, the Purple are the first team to win a conference championship in season one or two. Two other programs -- Kennesaw State in 2017 and North Dakota State in 2006 -- won conference championships in their third seasons.

St. Thomas received contributions in all phases of the game again this fall:

Led by a dominant offense line, the Tommie offense received consistent QB play from senior Cade Sexauer, a breakout season from sophomore WR Andrew McElroy, and had three different running backs record at least one 100-yard rushing day.
The Tommie defense ranked in the top five nationally out of 130 FCS programs in fewest points allowed (17.2 ppg), third-down conversions (.299), and rushing yards allowed (97 ypg). St. Thomas also ranked in FCS's top 10 in sacks, tackles for loss, blocked kicks and fewest yards allowed per game.
The St. Thomas special teams blocked four kicks that were returned or recovered for touchdowns, the most in Division I football. In all, eight different players had a touchdown on a special teams play or defensive return.

Did You Know?

St. Thomas is 11-0 in games in the D-I era when its rushes for 200-plus yards as a team, and 12-0 in games when a player has rushed for for 99 or more yards.
The Tommies had the best won-loss record out of seven teams currently reclassifying up to FCS from either D-III and D-II, just ahead of Merrimack (8-3).
St. Thomas led the 11-team Pioneer Football League in home attendance, averaging 5,228 per game.

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The Pioneer will announce its all-conference teams on Tuesday Nov. 29 and its academic all-conference teams on Wednesday Nov. 30.

Click HERE to access Pioneer news release

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University of St. Thomas Athletics

D-I era first: Glenn Caruso gets Pioneer Coach of the Year

Players Mentioned

Andrew McElroy

Cade Sexauer

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