King's College men's soccer coach Mark Bassett enters his ninth season with the Monarchs in 2014. Bassett made an immediate impact at King's by transforming the program into an annual post-season playoff contender. Bassett stands as the first full-time men's soccer coach at King's since the program's inception in 1980.
In his second season, Bassett led the squad to the 2007 Freedom Conference title game, then guided the Monarchs to the 2008 Eastern College Athletic Conference Southern Region Tournament championship when King's posted a program best 16-1-5 mark. He then led King's to Freedom Conference playoff berths in 2009 and 2012.
In 2013, Bassett guided the Monarchs to its first-ever Freedom Conference Tournament championship. In addition, King's secured the first NCAA Division III National Tournament berth in program history. Bassett currently owns an eight-year record of 82-55-15 at King's.
The 2006 season was the start of a new era at King's College as Mark Bassett took over the reigns of the Monarch soccer program while serving as coordinator of soccer operations at the college.
Bassett came to King's after serving the 2005 season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division III Goucher College, Towson, Md. Prior to Goucher, he was an assistant coach Division II Bloomsburg University in 2001 and 2002, before moving on to Pequea Valley High School where he served as assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach in 2003.
Bassett then returned to Bloomsburg as an assistant in 2004 before accepting a full-time high school teaching position at Aberdeen High School in Maryland where he joined the Goucher College coaching staff as the lead assistant.
As a player, Bassett enjoyed an outstanding collegiate career as a member of the men's soccer team at NCAA Division III national power Messiah College. A four-year letterman and three-year starter at center midfield, Bassett helped Messiah to a four-year record of 73-11-6 and four straight berths to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. While at Messiah, Bassett helped the Falcons to the 1997 Middle Atlantic Conference championship and a second-place finish in 1998.
In 1999, Bassett led Messiah to the MAC Commonwealth regular-season championship and a spot in the Division III national quarterfinals. In 2000, Messiah won the MAC Commonwealth tournament championship and earned yet another Division III national tournament berth. The Falcons would reach the title game where Bassett scored the first goal of the contest as Messiah won the 2000 Division III national championship with a 2-0 victory over Rowan University. He concluded his senior year with an MAC All-Star selection..
Bassett is a graduate of Pequea Valley High School where he was a three-year starter and two-time first-team all-county selection. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Messiah in 2001, before receiving a Master's of Education degree from Bloomsburg in 2003. Bassett also owns a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Teaching Diploma.
"I believe that King's College provides a great environment for academic and athletic excellence," Bassett stated. "King's and its staff are dedicated to succeeding both in the classroom and on the athletic field, without losing sight of both being integral parts of building a great college community. My goal is to develop a soccer culture with compassion and respect for all aspects of the game while progressively enhancing the standard of the program to a higher level each year, while maintaining a high standard of academic performance. It is also my goal as a coach to create a comfortable and respectful atmosphere that allows the players to achieve success at a high level."
As director of soccer operations, Bassett will also be involved with the King's women's soccer program, aiding with recruiting efforts, scheduling, budget management, travel, and a variety of other aspects of the Lady Monarch program.Â
June 16, 2014
