Koolman Joins BC Men's Staff

Coach Led Ravens to 125 Wins in 9 Years

February 5, 2009 - Franklin Pierce University has announced the resignation of men’s soccer head coach Marco Koolman, who has accepted a coaching position on Ed Kelly’s men’s soccer staff at Boston College.

Marco Koolman guided the Ravens to the Division II national championship in 2007. (Photo courtesy of Franklin Pierce Athletics)

"Coach Koolman's departure from Franklin Pierce is a significant loss,” said Bruce Kirsh, vice president and athletic director at the school. “But I am extremely pleased for him and his family. Over the course of the past nine years, he has been an extraordinary leader and his teams not only had significant success on the playing field, but his players achieved outstanding success in the classroom. The University will always be grateful for everything he's done, especially winning the 2007 national championship.”

A search for Koolman’s replacement at Franklin Pierce will begin immediately, according to the university.

There was an opening on BC’s staff after assistant Kevin Anderson took the head coaching position at Columbia University.

Koolman, a two-time NSCAA Division II National Coach of the Year, departs after rebuilding one of the premier programs at the NCAA Division II level, capturing the first national championship in program history in 2007 after finishing as runner-up in 2005. He led the Ravens to a 125-45-21 (.709) record in nine years, including an 86-21-10 (.778) mark in Northeast-10 Conference play.

"I want to thank Bruce Kirsh and the Franklin Pierce community for nine wonderful years,” said Koolman. “I appreciate the support that the men's soccer program received throughout my tenure because it allowed our student-athletes to perform in the classroom as well as on the soccer field…I am proud and feel honored that I had the opportunity to work with all the top class student-athletes at Franklin Pierce. Our men’s soccer program has a bright future ahead of them with a fine group of returning players and a great recruiting class.”

Koolman is ranked 12th among Division II coaches all-time (7th among active coaches) with his .708 career winning percentage, while his 199 career wins rank 31st all-time in Division II (24th among active coaches).

Koolman has been recognized by his peers for his efforts at Franklin Pierce, earning National Coach of the Year honors for the second time in 2007 after also earning the honor in 1993 while at Gannon University in Erie, Penn. He has also been named NSCAA/adidas New England Region Coach of the Year three times in the last five seasons (2004, 2006 and 2007) and he was voted Coach of the Year in the NE-10 in 2005 and 2007.

Koolman has had success placing his players in professional soccer. All-America midfielder Felix Brillant, one of Koolman's first recruits after coming to Franklin Pierce, was selected in the sixth round of Major League Soccer's 2004 SuperDraft by the New England Revolution and appeared in 17 matches, with six starts, in his first MLS season, registering a goal and two assists. Brillant currently plays for the Montreal Impact of the A-League.

All-American Christopher Joyce was selected by FC Dallas in the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft, but opted to sign a three-year contract with his current club Odd Grenland FK of the Norwegian Tippeligaen. James Thorpe was selected by DC United in the fourth round of the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, where he made his professional debut against Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage this fall.

“I am departing one of the premier soccer programs in Division II that participates in arguably the best conference in the country,” stated Koolman. “In exchange, I feel privileged to be joining the coaching staff of a NCAA Division I national power that competes in the best conference in the country, the ACC. I can truly say that I am excited and feel blessed about the next opportunity and challenge ahead of me.”

Franklin Pierce ranked 16th in the final NSCAA/adidas Division II poll, made its sixth straight NCAA Division II tournament appearance (14th overall) last fall.