RINDGE, N.H. (1/21/26) - Franklin Pierce University Athletics announced today that head coach Travis Brent has accepted the position of associate head coach at the University of Vermont, serving on the staff of recently hired head coach Adrian Dubois. Assistant coach Diego Thielen has been promoted to head coach of Franklin Pierce men's soccer program, effective immediately.  

Brent departs Franklin Pierce following on the most successful stretches in program history. In three seasons at the helm, he compiled a 45-7-11 overall record and a 20-2-6 mark in NE10 play, highlighted by the 2023 NCAA Division II Men's Soccer National Championship. Under his leadership, the Ravens posted an undefeated 21-0-2 campaign in 2023 while also capturing the NE10 Regular Season and Tournament titles and the NCAA DII Regional Championship.  

In 2024, Brent guided Franklin Pierce to a 12-3-5 overall record and an NCAA Division II Championship appearance, followed by a 12-4-4 season in 2025 that culminated in a NE10 Championship title and a third-round NCAA appearance after a 4-1 victory over Bentley. Across his tenure, numerous Ravens earned NE10, D2CCA, and United Soccer Coaches regional honors. 

"Travis has elevated this program in every way," said Athletic Director Matt Johnson. "His impact on our student-athletes and the national profile of Franklin Pierce men's soccer has been extraordinary. We are grateful for his leadership and wish him continued success at Vermont." 

Thielen becomes the next head coach after spending the past three seasons as an assistant with the Ravens. Since joining the staff in 2023, he has played a key role in player development, recruiting, and day-to-day operations within one of Division II's premier programs. 

Prior to Franklin Pierce, Thielen served as a volunteer assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University, helping guide the Bears to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and a South Atlantic Conference Championship in 2022. He also gained semi-professional coaching experience with USL League Two's Otters FC. Earlier, Thielen was a graduate assistant at Ohio Valley University, where the program reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen and earned United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region Staff of the Year honors. 

A former standout student-athlete at Ohio Valley, Thielen was a member of conference and regional championship teams and earned multiple all-conference honors during his playing career. A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, he holds a bachelor's degree in Sport Management and Business Administration. 

"I would like to thank Athletic Director Matt Johnson for trusting me and my vision for the men's soccer program. These past three years have been extremely special for me, and it's a tremendous privilege to lead this program that I've grown so passionate about. I want to thank everyone who has helped me prepare for this opportunity, as well as Travis Brent for his dedication to the program and the impact he made during his time here."