St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso was awarded his second Coach of the Year honors of the 2012 season Tuesday, this time from the American Football Coaches Association.

Fellow Division III coaches voted made Caruso just the third D-III honoree in the 30-year history of the award to receive the most votes without winning the NCAA championship. This is Caruso’s first Coach of the Year award from the AFCA, and last year he earned honors from both Liberty-Mutual and American Football Monthly magazine.

Cornerback Jack Gavin, who played his senior season under Caruso this fall, said not only is this an honor for Caruso, but for the St. Thomas community as well.

“Coach will probably be the first one to tell you it’s about the whole school, not just him,” Gavin said. “From the football team to the administration, everyone. It’s important to all of us. We’re proud of him, and he’s definitely deserving.”

Caruso was also named Liberty Mutual’s D-III Coach of the Year Monday for the third-consecutive year; a first-time accomplishment for a Liberty Mutual honoree.

Gavin said his coach’s honors come as no surprise to him.

“Obviously he has turned the program around in the last five years or so. He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around really,” Gavin said. “His speaking skills, his motivational skills, obviously his coaching skill, all of them thrown into one.”

Since his first days with the Tommie men five years ago, Caruso has improved his team’s record in each of his five seasons at the helm. He took over a 2-8 St. Thomas program and has since posted records of 7-3, 11-2, 12-1, 13-1 and 14-1 in the following seasons.

Caruso lead the 2012 Tommies to a program best 14 wins and No. 2 national ranking after falling short to Mount Union 28-10 in the national championship in December.

The 2012 Tommies also had the most home-field victories in all of NCAA football (9-0 record).

Briggs LeSavage can be reached at lesa4364@stthomas.edu.