WILKES-BARRE, PA (February 22, 2021) -- On Monday afternoon, the highly successful Mark Bassett era of King's College men's soccer came to an end after 15 seasons as he was named as the new head men's soccer coach at Division II Bloomsburg University. 

Bassett, who currently lives in Bloomsburg, PA, led the Monarchs to the Middle Athletic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) Tournament 10 times while mentor of the Monarchs. He guided King's to MAC Freedom titles in 2013 and 2014, while winning a program-record in 2008 with 16 victories. 

The Messiah College (now Messiah University) graduate in 2001 was the MAC Freedom Coach of the Year in 2015, and coached three MAC Freedom Players of the Year and 24 MAC Freedom first-team honorees. In all, he earned a 159-89-28 overall record as the boss of the Monarch men's soccer team while finishing with a 55-34-9 mark in conference action. 

Bassett returns to Bloomsburg after serving as an assistant coach there in 2001-2002 and in 2004, as he earned his Masters of Education from BU in 2003.

"Coach Bassett has been an integral part of our athletic department for nearly 15 years," said Cheryl Ish, King's Associate President and Executive Director of Intercollege Athletics and Recration. "I truly appreciate all of the time and energy he's dedicated to building a very successful program. Mark's ability to recruit high achieving student-athletes to King's was a hallmark of his program. I know he will bring the same success to Bloomsburg."

Ish said that King's will conduct a national search for Bassett's replacement in the coming months.