He succeeded his father, John Thorne, and led the 2019 team to an NCAA Division III national title.
[1] Thorne played college football at Eastern Illinois University, starting at quarterback in the early 1990s.
Thorne became offensive coordinator for Division III North Central College in 2002, the same year his father became head coach.
He was a finalist for coordinator of the year in 2013 after his offense average over 45 points per game on route to a National Championship appearance.
[12] On February 1, 2022, Thorne was named the offensive coordinator for Western Michigan under head coach Tim Lester.
Western Michigan finished the year 5-7, including 4-4 in conference, good for third place in the MAC West.