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RINDGE, N.H. (February 4, 2009) – Franklin Pierce University
has announced the resignation of men’s soccer head coach,
Marco Koolman, to accept a coaching position with the men’s
soccer program at Boston College. The announcement was made this
morning by Bruce Kirsh, Vice President and Director of Athletics at
the University.
"Coach Koolman's departure from Franklin Pierce is a significant
loss,” said Kirsh. “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.”
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 earning National Runner-up honors 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. The gradual growth and development
allowed us to capture the school's first ever NCAA Division II
Men’s Soccer National Championship in 2007. 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.”
Franklin Pierce captured three-straight NE-10 regular season titles
from 2005-2007, completing the Conference double with its first
tournament crown in 2006. The Ravens earned six-straight NCAA
Tournament bids and advanced to the Division II Final Four in
Wichita Falls, Texas, in 2005 and Orange Beach, Ala., in 2007.
Franklin Pierce captured four of the last six East Regional
championships. The Ravens have reached the National Championship
match in both of its Final Four appearances under Koolman's
leadership, including its title-winning trip in 2007.
Koolman boasts a 199-74-27 (.708) career mark, which includes six
successful seasons as head coach at Gannon University, his alma
mater, in Erie, Pa. He 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).
The Ravens were regularly among national defensive leaders in NCAA
Division II circles under Koolman's tenure. Franklin Pierce has
finished atop national leaders in shutouts in 2004 & 2006,
setting a program record with 16 clean sheets in 2004. The Ravens
program record 0.44 team goals against average in '06 also led
Division II, as did All-America James Thorpe with his 0.448
individual GAA.
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. He has also been named NSCAA/adidas New England Region
Coach of the Year three times in the last five seasons (2004, 2006
& 2007) and he was voted Coach of the Year in the NE-10 in 2005
and 2007.
Since joining Franklin Pierce, Koolman has produced 17
All-Americans, including a program-record four selections in 2006,
36 All-Region and 69 All-Northeast-10 selections. Christopher Joyce
became the first men's soccer player in Franklin Pierce history to
earn NSCAA/adidas Division II Player of the Year honors in 2005, a
feat that was repeated by James Thorpe in 2007. Joyce is one of
three NE-10 Players of the Year for Koolman. Another Koolman
recruit, James Thorpe is the only four-time NE-10 Goalkeeper of the
Year in Conference history (2004-2007), while Bisharra Ettienne was
named Defensive Player of the Year in the NE-10 a Conference-record
three times and the pair are the first two three-time All-Americans
in program history.
Koolman's Ravens have also performed in the classroom, with four
collecting CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, including Peter
Petropanagos - a first team selection in 2006 and first three-time
Academic All-American in Franklin Pierce history. 15 Franklin
Pierce men's soccer players have earned CoSIDA Academic
All-District honors under Koolman's watch and nine have collected
NE-10 All-Academic honors since the Conference started the program
in 2004. 16 Ravens have been named to the NE-10 Commissioner's
Honor Roll, six of which achieved Gold Scholar status.
Koolman also 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. On behalf of my
wife and children we want to say thank you for all that Franklin
Pierce has done for us, and we wish the University the best of
luck.”
A search for Koolman’s replacement at Franklin Pierce will
begin immediately.
Franklin Pierce (13-8-2, 9-3-1 NE-10), ranked 16th in the final
postseason National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, made its sixth-straight NCAA
Division II Tournament appearance (14th overall) last fall. The
Ravens, National Champions in 2007, advanced to the second round
before being defeated at Dowling College - the eventual National
Runners-up.
TRANSACTIONS:
Franklin Pierce: Announces the resignation of
Marco Koolman, head men’s soccer coach.
Franklin Pierce: 'Koolman Resigns Franklin Pierce Coaching Post'
Posted: Feb 04, 2009