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6/12/06 - King's Names Mark Bassett Head Men's Soccer Coach
 WILKES-BARRE, PA - King's College director of athletics Cheryl Ish has announced the hiring of Mark Bassett as the new head men's soccer coach and coordinator of soccer operations at the college. Bassett becomes the first full-time men's soccer coach at King's since the program's inception in 1980.
At King's, Bassett will replace Mike Davitt who stepped down after five years at the Monarchs' helm, serving the program in a part-time capacity.
Bassett comes to King's after serving the past 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 Bloomburg 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.
"We are pleased to have Mark join our coaching staff at King's College," Ish stated. "Mark has enjoyed a high level of playing and coaching experiences, blended with an obvious passion for the game that we feel will help elevate our program to a new level. As the first full time men's soccer coach at King's, we feel that we hired to right person to usher in a new era of the program. We are excited about Mark coming to King's and feel the future of our men's soccer program has never been brighter."
As director of soccer operations, Bassett will also be involved with the King's women's soccer program, aiding with coordinate recruiting efforts, scheduling, budget management, travel, and a variety of other aspects of the Lady Monarch program. He will also serve as the Director of Alumni Hall Fitness Center on the King's campus.
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 first impression of the campus, staff, and players made me feel at ease and confident that the team and players can succeed in the classroom and on the field. The players are enthusiastic, determined, passionate, and dedicated to soccer and academics. It is also apparent they are willing to have a positive influence on the King's 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."
Bassett will take over a Monarch program that comes off an injury-riddled 6-10-1 season but returns a number of players. Over the past five years, King's went 40-50-3 under Davitt, who guided the squad to a MAC Freedom Conference playoff berth in 2001.
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