Diego Thielen

A leader in coaching excellence and a dedicated developer of talent, Diego Thielen serves as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Franklin Pierce University, one of the nation’s most successful and prestigious collegiate programs. Known for his passion for player development and his ability to bring out the best in every athlete he works with, Thielen creates an environment built on growth, discipline, and high‑level performance.

Thielen joined Franklin Pierce after two standout seasons as a volunteer assistant at Lenoir‑Rhyne University, where he helped guide the Bears to back‑to‑back NCAA National Tournament appearances (2021, 2022) and a South Atlantic Conference Championship in 2022. He also expanded his coaching experience at the semi‑professional level, spending the spring and summer of 2022 as an assistant coach with USL League Two’s Otters FC.

Before Lenoir‑Rhyne, Thielen served as a graduate assistant at Ohio Valley University, helping lead the program to an 18th national ranking, a Division II Sweet Sixteen appearance, and the most successful season in school history during spring 2021. That year, the Fighting Scots won both the regular season and conference tournament titles, achieved a program‑best No. 3 national ranking, and earned Midwest Region Staff of the Year honors from United Soccer Coaches.

As a player, Thielen spent four seasons competing for Ohio Valley, earning GMAC All‑Freshman Team and All‑ECAC Second Team honors while contributing to the 2017 GMAC Championship and 2018 Midwest Region Championship teams. He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management and Business Administration.

A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Thielen is a graduate of Colegio Andrés Eloy Blanco and spent five seasons competing for Club Deportivo Lara. His international playing background, championship‑level coaching experience, and unwavering commitment to developing young athletes continue to elevate everyone who trains under his leadership.