John Carroll University football head coach Tom Arth was named D3football.com Coach of the Year for 2016, becoming the first Blue Streaks mentor in any sport to earn a national honor in 42 years.

Arth, who also earned Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and was D3football.com's North Region Coach of the Year in 2016, guided the Blue Streaks to the NCAA Division III Championship for the third time in his four-year tenure, and for the first time as the winner of the league's automatic bid. In doing so, JCU broke Mount Union's run of 24 consecutive OAC titles, and captured its first league crown since 1994. It was also John Carroll's first outright OAC title since 1989.

John Carroll concluded its 2016 campaign with a 12-2 record and reached the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. The Blue Streaks defeated Olivet in the first round, Wesley in the second round and Wisconsin-Whitewater in the national quarterfinals before falling to Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the national semifinals.

The last John Carroll head coach to earn a national coach of the year honor was Tony DeCarlo, who was the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1974 when the Blue Streaks finished as runner-up in the inaugural Division III national championships.

Arth was named the 17th head football coach in John Carroll program history on December 4, 2012.  In his four years as head coach, he has amassed a record of 40-8 and his teams have produced a winning percentage of at least .800 in each of his four seasons.

His 2016 team tied the school record for victories with 12, matching the effort of the 2002 team for which he was the starting quarterback.

Arth is joined on the 2016 D3football.com All-America team by five of his players: Ray Brown, Jovon Dawson, Dominic DiTirro, Michael Hollins and Mason McKenrick.

For a complete list of the team, click here