Coach's Corner: Marco Koolman

With the success that men's soccer coach Marco Koolman has brought to the program, it comes as no surprise that his "childhood was surrounded by soccer," said Koolman. Koolman was born in the Netherlands and grew up in a soccer family. "My father was a professional soccer player. He came to the Netherlands to play, and after he retired he began to coach," said Koolman. Koolman attended a soccer college in the Netherlands where he earned his degree in health and physical education and received his coaching license. "Part of my dream was to be a soccer coach at the professional level," said Koolman. However, when he was given the opportunity to play college soccer in the states and continue his education, he chose that path first. He came to the United States on a soccer scholarship, where he played four years of college soccer at Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Once his playing days were over, Koolman began to pursue coaching in the states. He coached at Gannon for six years and was also the Director of Coaching at a sports complex where he oversaw all the soccer components. It was at the sports complex when he came across the head coaching position at Franklin Pierce. "I wanted to get back into coaching," said Koolman. "When I saw the job being posted [men's soccer coach at Franklin Pierce], I put my application in, one thing lead to another and I was offered the job." This is Koolman's ninth year as men's soccer head coach. Last season, Koolman lead his team to the first ever men's soccer National Championship in program history. "Initially, you don't realize what you've accomplished. It takes time to sink in," said Koolman. "To provide everyone involved in the institution with the life long experience; to be apart of a national championship, is a very accomplishing feeling."

Koolman plans to continue to grow in life as a professional. Whether it's higher up in the college scene or in the professional world, he wants to take the opportunities to get to the top. "It's hard to predict where you will end up in athletics," said Koolman. However, "coaches always have aspirations to go higher."