Bloomsburg Athletics

Mark Bassett is the eighth head coach in the history of the Bloomsburg University men's soccer program and concluded his fourth season at helm in 2024.

Bassett’s fourth season with the Huskies was filled with record-setting achievements and firsts across the board. The Bloomsburg men’s soccer team pieced together the winningest season in program history in 2024, achieving a 15-4-2 record for a new single-season win record in program history. The Huskies campaign was highlighted by claiming the 2024 PSAC Championship on the grounds of Steph Pettit Stadium for the first conference title in team history. The PSAC Tournament festivities marked the first time in program history with three consecutive seasons in the conference tournament. Bassett’s postseason accomplishments, guiding Bloomsburg to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and the right to host a game for the first time in the program’s 50 seasons of competition. With the 2024 NCAA Tournament berth, Bassett became the lone head coach in Bloomsburg men’s soccer history to make multiple NCAA Tournament trips. The unprecedented success led to Bassett garnering his second PSAC East Coach of the Year honor and guiding his contingent to United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region Staff of the Year recognition. The strength of the Huskies in 2024 was a smothering defensive presence. Bloomsburg finished the season ranked fourth in Division II in goals against average at .707.

The awards did not stop with Bassett, as the players under his tutelage accumulated an array of distinctions. Among the awards included the first four nods to All-America teams in program history. Defender Kody Besser, forward Owen Hollobaugh and goalkeeper Brady Rimple all earned places on the United Soccer Coaches All-America First Team while defender Patrick Walsh received third-team D2CCA All-America honors. The quarter joins former defender Matt Zima (Honorable Mention) as the only players with such distinctions. The Huskies additionally matched the program record with six all-region honors, four coming from United Soccer Coaches (Besser, Hollobaugh, Rimple - First Team, Walsh - Second Team) and two from the D2CCA (Rimple, Walsh - First Team). The five first-team all-region honors is the largest single-season total. Bloomsburg matched its team record with seven All-PSAC East recipients after securing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Division. Among the group includes five first-team selections,Besser, Hollobaugh, Rimple, Walsh and midfielder Teagan Wallace, and two second-team honorees, forward Anthony Schlee and midfielder Alex Wilsterman. Walsh added to a stellar senior campaign by being named the PSAC East Defender of the Year after scoring a career-high seven goals. Rimple helped secure the team’s first league title from his role in net, leading to PSAC Tournament MVP honors. In addition to the success on the field, the Huskies showcased their depth in the classroom. Walsh (First Team) and Rimple (Second Team) both received College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America recognition. Rimple added to his academic accomplishments by being named a PSAC Champion Scholar and earning a spot on the 2024 PSAC Fall Top 10 Team.

In year three under the guidance of Bassett, Bloomsburg continued to achieve immense levels of success. The Huskies finished the 2023 season 11-4-5, marking consecutive seasons with 10 wins for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2014 and 2015. The team also made back-to-back appearances in the PSAC Tournament since the aforementioned two-year stretch. The postseason did not end in the conference tournament, as Bloomsburg made its third appearance in team history as the Huskies qualified as the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Bassett performed a feat never done by another Huskies coach, winning the first-ever NCAA Tournament game in program history with a 2-1 decision over Southern New Hampshire in the first round. The third-year head coach guided freshman Owen Hollobaugh to PSAC East Freshman of the Year, the first by a Husky since 2009, and second-team All-PSAC honors. In addition to Hollobuagh, five additional Bloomsburg men's soccer athletes earned all-conference honors, including first-team designations for Kody Besser and Alex Wilsterman and second-team recognition for Stephen Hollis, Anthony Schlee and Teagan Wallace.

Bassett is coming off one of the most successful men's soccer seasons in program history and was named the 2022 PSAC East Men's Coach of the Year after guiding the Huskies to a 14-5-1 (8-3-1 PSAC East) season. The team's 14 wins tied the program's single-season wins record that was set in 2014, and the squad was able to make its fifth-ever appearance in the PSAC Championship after qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2015. By the season's end, six Huskies were named to All-PSAC teams in Sammy Ames, Stephen Hollis, Liam Harmon, Kody Besser, Patrick Walsh and Shay Gillen.  

Under Bassett in 2021, the Huskies finished the regular season with an even 9-9 record and were 5-7 in conference play. Bassett coached four players who were named to the All-PSAC team as Kacper Grycel, Sammy Ames, Mackenzie Fairs and Alex Wilsterman all earned post-season honors. 

With his two winning seasons, Bassett is the first coach in program history to achieve a .500 record during his first two years as head coach. 

Bassett earned his Master's of Education degree from Bloomsburg in 2003 while serving as the Huskies' assistant men's soccer coach during the 2001, 2002, and 2004 seasons under the program's all-time winningest coach, Paul Payne. Following a one-year stint at Goucher College in 2005, Bassett was named the first full-time head coach at King's College in 2006 and was with the Monarchs until returning to Bloomsburg.

In his 14 seasons as the head coach at King's (2020 season canceled due to COVID), Bassett guided the Monarchs to a 159-89-28 overall record and ten trips to the MAC Freedom Tournament – including eight consecutive appearances from 2012-19. He led King's to conference championships in 2013 and 2014 and trips to the NCAA tournament in each of those seasons – both firsts in program history. He also guided the Monarchs to the ECAC Southeast Regional title in 2008. The MAC Freedom Coach of the Year in 2015, Bassett led King's to at least ten victories 11 times during his tenure, including a program-record 16 wins in 2008 and 2015.
 
During Bassett's time at King's, his student-athletes won three MAC Freedom Player of the Year awards and two MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year honors, along with 24 All-Conference First Team, 21 All-Conference Second Team selections, and five All-Conference Honorable Mention honorees. He also coached six All-Region selections.

Off the pitch, Bassett coached a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, three CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees, two Scholar All-Region members, and seven Academic All-Conference selections.

Bassett played collegiately at Messiah College and earned his bachelor's degree in 2001. He was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter for the Falcons earning All-MAC Commonwealth Second Team honors in 2000. He helped Messiah to a 73-11-6 overall record with four trips to the NCAA tournament. Bassett scored the game-winning goal to lead the Falcons to a 2-0 victory over Rowan to claim the 2000 NCAA Division III national championship.

Updated on 11/8/2022