Search

Penn State University

University Park, PA 16802
Pennsylvania Northeast
Public Very Large Developing team
I'm interested in this program!

Coaches

Email coach

Erica Dambach

The leadership of Penn State women’s soccer Head coach Erica Dambach continues to produce incredible success season after season. While trophies, academic awards and international achievements line the walls as evidence of a championship program, her impact on her Nittany Lion student-athletes stands as the truest testament to her teams’ culture of excellence.


The numbers that document Penn State’s success are staggering. The 2020-21 season added a 20th regular-season Big Ten Championship trophy, the 11th under Dambach’s watch.


A two-time National Coach of the Year and five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Dambach has led her teams to 15 NCAA Tournaments, 11 Big Ten titles, four Big Ten Tournament titles and the 2015 NCAA National Championship.


In 18 years as a head coach, 15 leading the Nittany Lions, Dambach has accumulated 283 career wins with a .704 winning percentage. In 2019, former Nittany Lion and U.S. Olympian Ali Krieger presented her with a game ball to commemorate her 250th career win not long after achieving her 200th victory as head coach at Penn State.


In the fall of 2021, Penn State made its 27th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, moving to the third round for the fifth consecutive season and seventh time in eight seasons while recording a double-digit win total for the 28th-straight season.


The successful season was highlighted by individual accolades for the trio of captains, Kerry Abello, Sam Coffey and Ally Schlegel. All three earned All-Big Ten and All-Region recognition. Coffey closed out her collegiate career with All-American second team honors. On the academic side, Coffey and Abello were designated Scholar All-Americans and Academic All-Americans. For the second time in a row, Penn Abello was named the CoSIDA Women's Soccer Academic All-American of the Year.


While preparing for the Nittany Lions’ return to the pitch in spring 2021 after the cancellation of the traditional fall 2020 season, Dambach assisted with National Team in after the Tokyo Olympic Games were also delayed. Her commitment includes international friendlies and training camp in early summer 2021 before she departs with Team USA for the Summer Games.


The shift of the season from fall 2020 to spring 2021 gave the Penn State squad more time to prepare and Dambach’s squad responded with a Big Ten regular-season championship and went undefeated over a 10-match span. The Nittany Lions averaged 2.69 goals per game and led the Big Ten in nearly every offensive category while ranking second nationally in assists (48), third in points (134) and fourth in goals (43) and points per game (8.38), its highest-known output in available NCAA records. Individually, Sam Coffey, the only player in NCAA soccer with 30 or more goals and 40 or more assists and is the active NCAA leader with 114 points.


The Nittany Lions claimed four major Big Ten awards with five from Penn State also recognized for All-Big Ten laurels. Ally Schlegel was named the Forward of the Year, Coffey Midfielder of the Year and Eva Alonso a Co-Freshman of the Year, while Dambach was tabbed Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fifth time. In contention for national coaching staff of the year, Dambach and her staff were selected by the United Soccer Coaches as the North Regional Staff of the Year.


In addition to earning multiple conference accolades, several Nittany Lions earned national recognition. Schlegel and Frankie Tagliaferri were named United Soccer Coaches All-Americans, Schlegel with a first-team nod and Tagliaferri on the second team. Schlegel was a Honda Sports Award finalist and a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy while both Coffey (first team) and Kerry Abello (second team) were named Senior CLASS All-Americans.


Prior to the 2020-21 season, both Coffey and Abello were selected in the NWSL draft. Coffey was selected 12th overall by the Portland Thorns and Abello was selected 24th overall by the Orlando Pride. Coffey and Abello became the 14th and 15th selections in program history since the drafts inception in 2013. Penn State is one of just three programs to have at least one player selected in every draft since it began in 2013.


Dambach led Penn State to its eighth Big Ten Tournament title in 2019 as the Nittany Lions won 11-straight games en route to the championship, the longest winning streak since 2015. Dambach earned her 250th career win with a 1-0 win over Indiana during the 2019 campaign and Penn State moved to the NCAA Round of 16 or better for the seventh time in the last nine seasons.


Senior Kaleigh Riehl became the NCAA all-time leader in minutes played for a field player in 2019. Riehl was named a second-team All-American and a first-team Scholar All-America and earned her fourth All-Big Ten honor of her career. Four Nittany Lions earned all-region honors in 2019 and eight earned All-Big Ten honors highlighted by Ally Schlegel being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.


Kaleigh Riehl was selected with the 11th overall selection in the NWSL draft, marking the 13th draft selection in program history since the draft began in 2013. Riehl finished her career as one of the most decorated Nittany Lions in program history under the direction of Dambach.


In 2018, Penn State appeared in the NCAA quarterfinals for the fourth time in five seasons. The Nittany Lions won their 19th Big Ten regular-season championship in their 25th season of varsity competition. Kaleigh Riehl was named a MAC Hermann semifinalist, a first-team All-American, first-team Scholar All-American and the Big Ten Defender of the Year following the 2018 season.


Maddie Nolf and Emily Ogle were both selected in the 2019 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft following the 2018 season. Ogle was selected 24th overall by Portland Thorns FC. Ogle was a second-team All-American, first-team Scholar All-American and Big Ten Midfielder of the Year in 2018. Maddie Nolf was selected 27th overall by the Utah Royals FC. Nolf was a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection and led the team in minutes played.


During the 2017 season, the Nittany Lions advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons, and captured their seventh Big Ten Tournament title with a dramatic 2-1 win over Northwestern in Grand Park, Indiana, on Nov. 5, 2017.


Following the 2017 campaign, Frannie Crouse (No. 10 – North Carolina Courage) and Brittany Basinger (No. 21 – Washington Spirit) were selected in the 2018 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft, which extended Penn State’s streak of having at least one selection in every NWSL College Draft.


The 2016 campaign saw the Nittany Lions capture their 18th Big Ten regular-season title in 19 seasons and they advanced to their 22nd-straight NCAA Tournament. The Blue and White opened the 2016 season with a 1-1 tie against No. 6 West Virginia in front of a program-record 5,791 fans at Jeffrey Field.


Along with a program-record crowd in the season opener, Penn State captured two milestone victories during the 2016 slate. On Aug. 21, the Nittany Lions topped Hofstra, 3-1, for their 400th victory in program history, and on Sept. 9, the Nittany Lions defeated San Diego State, 3-0, for Dambach’s 200th career win as an NCAA Division I women’s soccer head coach.


During the fall of 2015, the Penn State women’s soccer team recorded a 3.49 grade-point average in the classroom to showcase academic excellence with the program’s first NCAA title and a pair of Big Ten titles.


Dambach’s squad finished the 2015 season with a 22-3-2 record, its eighth 20-win season, by defeating No. 20 Duke 1-0 in the College Cup Final on Dec. 6, 2015, in Cary, North Carolina. The NCAA title was the first in program history and the first by a Big Ten women’s soccer program.


The Nittany Lions outscored the opposition 20-0 during their 2015 NCAA Tournament run and did not allow a goal over the final 733:32 of the season.


Raquel Rodriguez capped off her historic career in the Blue & White by scoring the lone goal in the NCAA title match in the 72nd minute. Rodriguez followed up her game-winner in the title match by claiming the second MAC Hermann Trophy in program history in January 2016 (Welsh – 2001).


Rodriguez garnered NSCAA Scholar Player of the Year honors, was named the Honda Sport Award winner for women’s soccer and was tabbed a NSCAA First-Team All-American in addition to collecting the Hermann Trophy.


Following the 2015 season, Dambach received NSCAA Coach of the Year honors for the second time in her Nittany Lion career (2012).


In January 2016, all three Nittany Lion captains were selected in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft. Rodriguez was selected with the No. 2 pick by Sky Blue FC, Mallory Weber went to the Western New York Flash at No. 14 and Britt Eckerstrom was the first goalkeeper selected at No. 26 by the Western New York Flash.


A 10th NCAA Tournament semifinal appearance and the seventh 20-win season program history define the 2014 season. Penn State, which had an 11-member freshman class, earned its third outright conference title in four years, maintaining a top-11 national ranking throughout the season and defeating five top-25 opponents.


Under Dambach’s direction, picking up her third Big Ten Coach of the Year award, Penn State collected three of four Player of the Year awards. Whitney Church, the conference’s Defender of the Year, was named a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist and an NSCAA All-America first-team selection before she became the 30th overall pick in the NWSL draft by the Washington Spirit. Also earning individual Big Ten awards were Raquel Rodriguez, who bagged Midfielder of the Year honors, and Emily Ogle, the Freshman of the Year.


The Nittany Lions appeared in their 19th-straight NCAA Tournament in 2013, due in part to the success of senior Maya Hayes. The sixth-overall selection in the NWSL draft, Hayes set Penn State’s single-season record for points (79) and finished her career ranked third in goals scored (71) and points (163), sixth in game-winning goals (17) and seventh in shots (291). Hayes also became the seventh MAC Hermann Award Trophy semifinalist in program history.


Dambach’s 2012 Nittany Lions were, at the time, the most successful team in program history after advancing to their first-ever national title game. The Nittany Lions won 21 of 27 games and were unbeaten in Big Ten action with a 10-0-1 record. The Lions registered their 15th consecutive Big Ten title and 18th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The 15-title mark stands as the most consecutive Big Ten Championships by a women’s program, along with the Northwestern tennis team (1999-2014).


Senior Christine Nairn became the seventh Nittany Lion to finish as a finalist for the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy in 2012 under Dambach’s tutelage, while junior Maya Hayes was named a semifinalist for the award.


Dambach’s success was recognized at the conference and national level as she earned Big Ten Coach of the Year and NSCAA National Coach of the Year honors.


Her 2011 team was a dominant force, winning 21 of 26 matches, while out-scoring opponents 70-24. Penn State was 10-1-0 in Big Ten action and posted the seventh undefeated season at Jeffrey Field (9-0). Dambach helped guide the Lions to their 14th-straight Big Ten title and a spot to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2007.


With Dambach’s guidance, sophomore Maya Hayes became the nation’s most prolific scorer in soccer in 2011 and was a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. Hayes led the nation with 31 goals and 70 points, breaking the Penn State single-season record for points.


During the 2011 summer, Dambach had an extraordinary experience of being one of the top assistants to Pia Sundhage and the 2011 United States women’s national team at the FIFA World Cup in Germany. The U.S. made a sparkling run through knockout play to the final, falling to eventual champion Japan.


During the 2010 season, Dambach’s young club made a remarkable turnaround mid-season, overcoming a two-game deficit in the league standings over the final weeks to capture a share of its 13th straight Big Ten title.


After a tough 2-4 start to the 2009 season, Dambach led the Nittany Lions to a remarkable turnaround, going 10-1-2 in the last 13 games of the regular season, earning her the 2009 Big Ten Coach of the Year Award for her efforts.


With the impressive end to the season, Dambach and her charges captured the program’s 12th straight Big Ten Championship. By winning the Big Ten, the Nittany Lions continued their string of NCAA Tournament berths, making their 15th straight appearance in the 64-team field in 2009. For the second time in three years, Penn?State hosted the first and second rounds of tournament play.


Dambach also orchestrated one of the finest awards seasons in Penn State history when Katie Schoepfer, Alyssa Naeher and Christine Nairn swept the year-end Big Ten Player of the Year awards. Schoepfer was named the Offensive Player of the Year, Naeher the Defensive Player of the Year and Nairn the Freshman of the Year. Danielle Toney was named to the All-Big Ten first team, while Lexi Marton garnered a second-team mention. Dambach coached two players of the year to three awards as Naeher was also the 2007 recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year honors in Dambach’s first year in Happy Valley.


Dambach continued her success from the 2007 campaign into a 16-8-0 record that saw Penn State capture its 11th straight Big Ten Championship and the 2008 Big Ten Tournament crown.


Her transition to Penn State was quite smooth as the 2007 team finished 18-4-2, including a 9-1-0 mark in conference play, and was ranked 12th in the final NSCAA poll of the season.


When she came to Penn State, Dambach brought with her a wealth of experience at both the international and collegiate levels. She already had coached at six different universities, including three stints as head coach, and served as an assistant for the U.S. U-19 team in 2004. Dambach guided the U-17 team as its head coach from December 2004 until her arrival at Penn State in February 2007.


As of January 2009, Dambach was appointed as a member of the Panel of Instructors and Lecturers for FIFA Courses. In addition, she was appointed as the Chairman of the Women’s Technical Committee for the period of January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011.


In January of 2008, Dambach was named by Pia Sundhage as the assistant coach for the U.S. National Team. With Dambach’s help and guidance, the U.S. team completed its historic run with a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Even sweeter was that Dambach’s main responsibility was the U.S. team’s defense, which held fellow world power Brazil scoreless in the gold medal game.


The head coach at Harvard University as well as the U.S. Under-17 team prior to her hiring at Penn State, Dambach has consistently been active among the coaching ranks both at the NCAA Division I level and the U.S. Youth National Team program for nearly a decade. Prior to her time with the Crimson, she was part of a Florida State staff that led the Seminoles to one of their most successful years to date. FSU joined Penn State in the 2005 Women’s Soccer College Cup, with both programs reaching the national semifinals.


Dambach’s coaching path began in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Bucknell University. In 1998, she accepted a position at Dartmouth, where she was an assistant coach for two seasons. After helping the team to a final NSCAA ranking of No. 8 at the conclusion of the team’s 1998 NCAA quarterfinal run, as well as an Ivy League championship in 1999, Dambach assumed head coaching duties before the 2000 season.


As head coach, Dambach led the Big Green to back-to-back Ivy League co-championships in 2000 and 2001. Her squad was ranked in the NSCAA’s top 25 each year, rising as high as No. 13 in 2001. In her three seasons as head coach, Dartmouth was invited to the NCAA Tournament each season and reached the round of 16 twice. All three of her teams earned the NSCAA’s Academic Team Award.


Dambach left Dartmouth to earn her master’s in business administration at Lehigh University where she served as a graduate assistant from 2003-04.


Beginning in the spring of 2004, Dambach joined the United States Under-19 team as an assistant coach where she helped with preparations for the Under-19 World Cup. The U.S. finished with the bronze medal in Thailand after defeating Brazil in the third-place match. After the World Cup, Dambach was appointed the U.S. National Team’s U-17 head coach, a position she held for three years.


As a player, Dambach was an NSCAA All-Region selection at William & Mary. A two-time first-team All-CAA pick, she propelled her team to four NCAA Tournament appearances as well as two CAA regular season and two CAA league championships. In March of 2010, Dambach’s alma mater, William & Mary, honored her by inducting her into the W&M Athletics Hall of Fame.


A high school All-American at Lower Moreland, she was also a member of the U.S. Under-17 National Team.


Dambach earned her Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in biology from William & Mary in 1997. The Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, native holds an NSCAA Advanced National Degree and a USSF “A” Coaching License.


The former Erica Walsh married Jason Dambach in January 2016, and they currently reside in State College, Pennsylvania. Erica and Jason have two daughters, Addie and Kylie.

show more
Email coach

Ann Cook

Ann Cook enters her 16th season with the Nittany Lions in 2022. This will also be the 16th season that Cook will be coaching with former teammate and friend Erica (Walsh) Dambach. The two combined for numerous wins on the field at William & Mary and have shown their prowess on the sidelines together, as they led the Nittany Lions to the program’s first NCAA title in 2015, two College Cup appearances (2012 & 2015), 11 Big Ten titles (2007-12, 2014-16, 2018, & 2020) and 15 NCAA Tournament appearances (2007-21).


As the associate head coach, Cook is the director of player development and is in charge of the Nittany Lion attack. Since she has been with the Blue & White, Penn State has had one of the most prolific attacks in the country. Since 2011, Penn State has scored 500 goals, placing them third in the country during that time span. Under the guidance of Cook, four Nittany Lions have scored 100 or more points over their careers. Maya Hayes finished her Nittany Lion career with 163 points (71g, 21a), which ranks third-best in school history. As Director of Player Development, Cook has mentored 15 players to NWSL draft selection, making Penn State one of the top producers of pro talent.


Throughout her time at Penn State, Cook has been involved in the organization, Soccer Without Borders (SWB) and currently serves as a member of its advisory board. SWB’s mission is to use soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of under-served youth around the world and has project sites in the U.S. as well as in Africa and Central America. Cook's primary involvement has been with its project for girls in Granada, Nicaragua.


As an early assistant project director for SWB, she helped establish what is now a thriving year-round program there. Cook has accompanied Penn State student-athletes there on multiple occasions and she took the team to Nicaragua for spring break 2018 to run camps and clinics for girls as well as coaches’ clinics. They also trained with and played against the Nicaraguan National Team.


Because of her time with Soccer Without Borders, Cook has worked with the U.S. State Department on projects in Nicaragua and in Egypt. She also was given the incredible opportunity to go to Papua New Guinea to help the PNG U-20 National Team prepare for the 2016 World Cup.


Prior to PSU, Cook was an assistant coach at Nebraska from 2005-2007 and at Missouri State from 2004-2005. As the head coach at Drury University from 1999-2000, Cook oversaw Drury’s transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. Her squad ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division I poll among new programs in 1999.


A three-time All-American, Cook played for the College of William & Mary from 1993-97. In the mix for the Hermann Trophy in both 1995 and 1997, she was the 1997 CAA Conference Player of the Year and CAA Conference Tournament MVP. The Tribe made appearances in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals two of Cook’s four seasons and concluded the seasons ranked in the top five nationally.


Active with the U.S. National Team programs, Cook was a member of the U.S. Under-20 team from 1993-95 and played with the full national team in 1998. Professionally, Cook was a fourth-round draft pick (25th overall in the global draft) by the Bay Area CyberRays of the WUSA in 2000.


A member of the team that won the WUSA’s inaugural season championship in 2001, she was traded in December of that year to the Washington Freedom, which eventually finished as the 2002 league runners-up. Cook moved to coaching full-time when the WUSA folded after the 2003 season.

show more
Email coach

Tim Wassell

Promoted to associate head coach in July 2021, Tim Wassell has contributed to Penn State’s success as the program’s recruiting coordinator and also directs the team’s goalkeepers and defensive unit.


Beginning his 13th season with the Nittany Lions in fall 2022, Wassell has attracted nationally ranked recruiting classes to Happy Valley year after year with five top-5 classes since 2014 as ranked by Top Drawer Soccer, including the No. 1 recruiting class in 2019 and 2022. His reputation as one of the top recruiters in the sport, combined with the exceptional Penn State women’s soccer experience, builds the aspirations of the program on those past successes and a veteran team headed into fall 2021.


Under Wassel's guidance, Amanda Dennis and Rose Chandler achieved great success at Penn State and at the national level as well as both goalkeepers have seen extensive time with the U.S. Women’s National Team program. Dennis became the most recent Nittany Lion goalkeeper to enter the NWSL and signed with the Houston Dash in following her senior season in 2019 and captured the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup title in her rookie campaign.


For Chandler, she was a member of the U.S. U-20 WNT that won the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 World Cup Qualifying Tournament and was on the U.S. U-20 WNT at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.


At the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 World Cup Qualifying Tournament, Chandler started all five matches in net for the Red, White & Blue, which included three-straight shutouts to capture the tournament title. She received the Golden Glove award for her efforts and was one of five Nittany Lions who missed the 2016 Penn State women’s soccer season as they were at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with the U.S. U-20 WNT.


The 2016 season featured Dennis, a freshman that year, start all 21 matches in net for the Nittany Lions. With her start on Aug. 19, 2016, against No. 6 West Virginia, Dennis became the first Nittany Lion true freshman goalkeeper to start the first match of the season since Olympian Alyssa Naeher recorded a start in net against No. 2 UCLA on Aug. 25, 2006. Following the 2016 regular season, Dennis was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.


Under the direction of Wassell, the Nittany Lions tallied one of the best defensive efforts in program history during Penn State’s 2015 National Championship season. As a defensive unit, the Nittany Lions allowed only 14 goals on the year and posted a goals-against average of .51, which ranks third-best in program history. The Nittany Lions’ 15 shutouts in 2015 tied the second-best performance in school history (2004).


The Nittany Lions’ defensive prowess was on display during the 2015 NCAA Tournament as the Penn State defense did not concede a goal over the final 733:32 of the season and only allowed 13 shots on goal in six games during the 2015 NCAA Tournament.


As recruiting coordinator, Wassell has brought some of the nation’s top recruiting classes to Happy Valley. According to TopDrawerSoccer.com, the Nittany Lions brought in the top recruiting class in 2019 after the No. 4 class in 2017 and back-to-back No. 2 overall recruiting classes in 2014 and 2015. The 2020-21 Big Ten Forward of the Year Ally Schlegel held a spot in the Top Drawer Soccer top 10 for 2018 with Kate Wiesner ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2019 with Jordan Caniff at No. 9 and Payton Linnehan ranked 13th overall.


The 2014 class featured Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Emily Ogle, and the 2015 class featured the No. 5 overall signee, Ellie Jean and No. 10 overall recruit, Kaleigh Riehl, just to a highlight a few. The fourth-ranked 2017 class featured four Nittany Lions in the top 30, including No. 5 overall signee Frankie Tagliaferri and the No. 2 defender in the nation and 12th-ranked player overall, Kerry Abello.


Another highly decorated student-athlete at Penn State, goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom, under the tutelage of Wassell, was a major catalyst the success of the Nittany Lions. Eckerstrom finished her Nittany Lion career with a record of 61-14-3, 255 saves, a save percentage of .804, GAA of 0.80 and 6,957 goalie minutes played. Her 61 wins are the second most by a Nittany Lion keeper, her 255 saves rank fourth in the Nittany Lion rankings, her save percentage of .804 ranks sixth and her 6,957 minutes in net are third-best in program history.


After helping Penn State to the 2015 National Championship, Eckerstrom was the first goalkeeper selected in the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft with the No. 26 pick by the Western New York Flash.


Over three seasons from 2007-09 at Penn State Altoona, Wassell led the women’s program to a 48-11-5 overall record as head coach, taking home NSCAA Great Lakes Coach of the Year honors in 2008. He was also named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008.


While with the Nittany Lions in Altoona, Wassell’s defense-oriented teams posted 39 shutouts in 64 games as the squad set marks for wins in every year of his tenure with 13, 17 and 18, respectively. During the 2008 campaign, the squad posted the third-best goals against average in Division III at 0.34. His teams also displayed offensive firepower, outscoring opponents 172-40.


Eighteen Lions earned All-AMCC honors and 24 were named to the Academic All-AMCC team during the three-year tenure. Additionally, Wassell’s charges collected three NSCAA Great Lakes All-Region selections, including the only freshman on the first or second team in 2008. During the 2008 season, PSU Altoona went without a loss in the regular season and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament.


Prior to taking over the reins at Altoona, he served as the goalkeeping coach in 2006 for both the men’s and women’s teams. For the men’s squad at Altoona, the team posted the best goals against average in the conference and second-best mark in shutouts. The team finished in the top 25 nationally in GAA with a 0.63 average.


As a goalkeeper at Penn State Altoona, Wassell was a two-time NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region selection in 2004 and 2005 and a two-time All-AMCC first-team pick as well. He was named the 2005 PSU Altoona Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was mentioned amongst the coaches of the AMCC as the Preseason Player of the Year in 2005. In both 2004 and 2005, Wassell led the AMCC in save percentage, shutouts and goals-against average (GAA), completing his two-year tenure between the pipes with a school-record 0.71 GAA. For his efforts as a player and coach, Wassell will be inducted in the Penn State Altoona Athletics inaugural Hall of Fame class in October 2021.


A highlight to his success at Penn State Altoona was a 641-minute shutout streak during the 2004 season, which, at the time, ranked in the top 15 in Division III history. Wassell was an accomplished student with two Academic All-AMCChonors, a spot on the Penn State Altoona Dean’s List every semester and a 3.72 cumulative grade point average. Prior to his time at Altoona, Wassell was a member of the East Stroudsburg squad from 2000-02, earning two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships (PSAC) with an NCAA College Cup appearance in 2000.


Wassell, a Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, native earned his bachelor’s degree in business at Penn State Altoona. He has earned the United Soccer Coaches National and Advanced National Goalkeeping Coaching Diplomas (NSCAA) and serves on the United Soccer Coaches National Goalkeeping Staff (NSCAA).

show more
Email coach

Jack Rushworth

Jack Rushworth enters his first season on staff with the Nittany Lions after spending the past two seasons with Austin Peay State University. As a member of the Governors coaching staff, Rushworth worked with both the goalkeepers and the field players while also serving as the Head of Goalkeeping at Montgomery County Soccer Association.


Prior to Austin Peay, Rushworth spent one season at his alma mater Tennessee Wesleyan as an assistant and goalkeeper coach following a four-year playing career for the Bulldogs (2014-2018).


At Tennessee Wesleyan, the 2017 starting goal keeper, McKenna Loges, was named All-Appalachian Athletic Conference and was an NAIA Academic All-American under his tutelage. Loges leads the TWU history books in most shutouts in a single season, and carries the title of allowing the 2nd least number of goals in a single season.


Rushworth played semi-professionally in in England for Selby Town FC in the NCEL as well as Dringhouses FC and Easingwold Town FC in the York Premier Division as well as the Knoxville Force in 2017.


Rushworth played youth soccer at York College Football Development Center and is a product of the i2i Football Academy.


Rushworth is originally from York, England and holds a US Soccer E License and a United Soccer Coaches Goalkeeper Diploma. Rushworth earned his Bachelors Degree in Sport Psychology and earned a Master’s Degree in Coaching.

show more
Email coach

Jeff Cook

Bringing more than 25 years of collegiate and professional coaching success to Penn State, Jeff Cook enters his fifth year at the helm of the storied men’s soccer program in 2022. He was named the 12th head coach in program history on Jan. 2, 2018.


As a collegiate head coach, Cook has led his teams to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and six conference championship titles. He has coached 74 all-conference selections, seven All-Americans, and eight Scholar All-Americans. Cook picked up his 200th career win as a collegiate head coach on Feb. 23, 2021 as the Nittany Lions defeated Rutgers, 2-1, on the road. He now holds a career record of 220-160-57 (.569).


Cook led Penn State to an historic season in 2021 on the back heels of a successful spring campaign played during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nittany Lions captured both the Big Ten Regular Season and Big Ten Tournament championship crowns and advanced to their third-straight NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993-95. For that, Cook was named the 2021 Big Ten Coach of the Year, and the staff earned 2021 United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year nods.


The Nittany Lions’ Big Ten Tournament title was the program’s first since 2005 after advancing to their second-straight title game for the first time since 2010-11. The defense shut out every team in the three games en route to the trophy, while the offense outscored opponents 7-0 for the largest goal margin in tournament history.


Cook coached sophomore Peter Mangione to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors, the program’s first conference Offensive Player of the Year nod since Connor Maloney in 2014. It marks the second Big Ten Player of the Year honor under Cook’s tutelage, joining Aaron Molloy’s Midfielder of the Year award in 2019. Four other players earned All-Big Ten honors, including redshirt senior defender Brandon Hackenberg’s third consecutive first-team nod to become the first defender in program history to do so.


The team also finished ranked No. 24 in the final rankings from United Soccer Coaches. It marked the first time since at least 1996 with three consecutive top-25 finishes.


In an unprecedented 2020 season postponed and played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cook kept the Nittany Lions prepared as the team continued to grow its presence in the national spotlight. Cook’s squad finished with a 9-2-2 overall record and a 6-1-1 record in Big Ten Conference play for their second-straight runner-up finish.


The Nittany Lions advanced to their first Big Ten Tournament championship game since 2011, narrowly losing the title to Indiana on penalty kicks. Penn State then earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for its second consecutive appearance, eventually defeating UMass in the second round, 4-1, to advance to its first Sweet Sixteen since 2013.


Offensively, the Nittany Lions scored 28 goals in the shortened season for an average 2.15 per game, a mark that was first in the conference and 13th nationally. The team concluded the 2020-21 season ranked No. 11, the program’s highest final-season ranking since 2005.


Cook coached redshirt senior midfielder Pierre Reedy and junior forward Danny Bloyou to third team All-America status in 2020-21, as well as first team All-Big Ten honors. Reedy was also named a Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient, the conference’s most exclusive award. Cook also helped redshirt senior defender Brandon Hackenberg to his second-straight first team All-Big Ten nod while Hackenberg was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft to Orlando City SC.


In the classroom, the 2020-21 roster saw a program-record 19 student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. Reedy, Hackenberg and junior midfielder Seth Kuhn all earned Scholar All-America accolades from United Soccer Coaches, a first for the program since 2004. Reedy was also named as a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American, the program’s first since 2009.


Cook started to bring the Nittany Lions back into the national spotlight during the 2019 season with a 12-4-3 overall record and a second-place 6-1-1 Big Ten Conference record.


Penn State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 and earned a first-round bye with a No. 15 national seeding. The team concluded the 2019 season ranked No. 18, the first final-season ranking since 2013.


Cook led senior midfielder Aaron Molloy to an outstanding final collegiate season in 2019. Molloy was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, first team All-Big Ten, second team All-American, and MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist. He was then drafted 16th overall in the first round of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft to the Portland Timbers. Cook also coached freshman forward Liam Butts and redshirt junior Brandon Hackenberg to first team All-Big Ten honors.


The roster for the 2019-20 school year earned a Team Academic Award from United Soccer Coaches for the second-straight year under Cook’s tutelage and 10th all-time.


In his first season at Penn State in 2018, Cook led the Nittany Lions to a 6-9-2 record and a 3-3-2 record in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lion defense posted six clean sheets in 2018, the most since the 2015 season.


Cook coached junior midfielder Aaron Molloy to second team All-Big Ten honors as well as third team All-North Region honors from United Soccer Coaches.


The 2018 roster saw success academically with a cumulative 3.32 team grade-point average in the fall semester under Cook, the top men’s team GPA at Penn State.


Cook came to Happy Valley with 27 years of coaching experience, including the previous four-plus years coaching professionally with the Philadelphia Union Academy and Bethlehem Steel FC.


A native of Springfield, Mass., Cook was recruited by the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer (MLS) in April 2013 to assist in running its youth development program, with the goal of producing homegrown professional soccer players. While at the Union, Cook also served as the first assistant coach of the Union’s United Soccer League (USL) affiliate and development team, Bethlehem Steel FC, and as the head coach of the U-19 Union Academy team.


As the first assistant coach with Bethlehem Steel FC, Cook was responsible for match preparations, designing and executing training sessions, video analysis and coordinating player movement between the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, the USL squad and the Union first team. Cook was instrumental in the development of the club’s first two “homegrown players” since the founding of the full-time academy program.


As the club’s U-19 head coach, Cook guided the squad to the 2016-17 USSDA Atlantic Division title and a third-place finish in the national standings. Cook was also the head coach of the club’s U-17 squad that finished second in the 2015-16 national standings and qualified for the Elite stage of the MLS Youth Cup that season.


Prior to coaching professionally, Cook spent 17 years as a Division I head coach, leading Dartmouth College for 12 seasons (2001-12), in addition to five years as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati (1996-2000).


Cook directed Dartmouth to five Ivy League Championships (2002, ’04, ’05, ’08, ’11) and seven NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 2008 and 2010. The Big Green were among only 12 programs nationally to qualify for five consecutive NCAA Tournaments and earned No. 16 national seeds in 2005 and 2008.


Cook led the coaching and development of 53 All-Ivy players, two All-Americans and a trio of Scholar-Athlete All-Americans at Dartmouth. He also directed the men’s soccer student-athletes to numerous academic achievements, including earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Team Academic Achievement Award for five consecutive seasons and seeing the Big Green lead all the Division I programs one year with a 3.46 GPA.


From 1996-2000, Cook served as the head coach at Cincinnati, guiding the Bearcats to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 1998 and posting the program’s most wins since 1989 (12). That season, Cincinnati upset top-ranked SMU and went 5-1 in its last six regular-season matches.


The 1997 Conference USA Coach of the Year, Cook had three selections on the C-USA All-Freshman Team, which included two-time All-American and Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Andrew Kean.


Academic excellence was a focus for Cook and his Bearcat program as he also developed Cincinnati’s first NSCAA Scholar-Athlete All-American.


A graduate of Bates College, Cook began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. He then led Wheaton College as head coach from 1991-93, posting records of 13-6-1 and 12-6-2 his last two seasons and earning ECAC Tournament berths. Cook served as a Dartmouth assistant coach in 1994-95 before matriculating to Cincinnati as head coach.


Cook and his wife, Christina, have two sons, Liam, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2019, and Kieron, who is a junior at Penn State.

show more
Email coach

Greg Dalby

Greg Dalby enters his fifth season on the men's soccer staff in 2022 after being hired by head coach Jeff Cook in February 2018. Dalby was promoted to Associate Head Coach in February 2020 after serving as an assistant coach for the previous two seasons.


At Penn State, Dalby helps with all aspects of the program including, but not limited to: recruiting, session planning, individual player development, form management and camp planning.


In 2021, Dalby helped continue the momentum and success the team had from the spring COVID season into an historic fall by leading the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten “double”, capturing the regular season title for the first time since 2013 and the tournament crown for the first time since 2005. Penn State also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season for the first time since 1993-95.


Dalby coached midfielders Andrew Privett, Pierre Reedy and Seth Kuhn to All-Big Ten Second Team honors, while also helping striker/midfielder Peter Mangione to become the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Dalby and the staff were named the 2021 United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year.


In his first season as associate head coach and his third season overall, Dalby once again guided Penn State to a runner-up finish in the Big Ten and its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and first Sweet Sixteen since 2013.


Dalby coached midfielders Pierre Reedy and Seth Kuhn to All-Big Ten honors on the first team and second team, respectively. He also helped Reedy and forward Danny Bloyou to Third Team All-America status.


Under Dalby’s guidance, the Nittany Lion offense in 2020-21 scored 28 goals in a shortened season for an average 2.15 per game, a mark that was first in the conference and 13th nationally.


In 2019, Dalby helped lead the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 after a 12-3-3 regular-season record.


He assisted in coaching senior Aaron Molloy to be Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, Second Team All-American, and Mac Hermann Trophy Semifinalist.


Dalby came to Happy Valley after being the lead assistant coach at Davidson College from 2015-17. At Davidson, Dalby was responsible for recruiting and talent development among a wide range of other duties. Prior to his time at Davidson, Dalby served as the assistant coach of his alma mater, Notre Dame, where he helped the squad to a 2013 NCAA Championship as well as a 2012 Big East Tournament Championship and back-to-back ACC regular-season championships in 2013 and 2014.


Dalby spent seven years as a professional soccer player, starting his career in the Belgian Premiere League at Royal Club Sporting Charleroi before moving on to the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer Club where he played for two seasons. Dalby closed his professional career at the Charlotte Eagles where he spent two seasons as co-captain. Throughout his time in professional soccer, Dalby served on the U.S. Soccer Athlete Council where he contributed to the drafting and implementation of new legislature to benefit the athletes.


As an NCAA student-athlete, Dalby played four years at Notre Dame where he was a two-year team captain, leading the Fighting Irish to back-to-back Big East regular-season championships in 2003 and 2004. Dalby was a NSCAA first-team All-American as well as a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist in 2005 and 2006. He was also named Big East Midfielder of the Year and garnered first-team All-Big East honors twice.


Dalby earned Big East Academic All-Star team honors for three seasons and was captain of the United States U-20 men's national team in the FIFA Youth World Cup in 2005. Dalby served as the men's soccer Student-Athlete Advisory Council representative and was awarded Notre Dame's prestigious Byron V. Kanaley Award, recognizing senior athletes who excelled as both students and leaders.


Dalby and his wife, Stacey, have three children, Addilynn, Miles and Brayden.

show more
Email coach

Clint Long

Clint Long enters his third season as a men's soccer assistant coach in 2022 after being hired by head coach Jeff Cook in March 2020. Long is specifically in charge of the Nittany Lion goalkeepers and works closely with the team’s defending unit.


In addition, Long helps with all aspects of the program including, but not limited to: recruiting, session planning, individual player development, camp planning, and Nike gear ordering and management.


Long helped Penn State to an historic 2021 campaign as the Nittany Lions captured both the Big Ten regular season and tournament crowns. He and the staff were named the 2021 United Soccer Coaches North Region Staff of the Year.


During the title run, Long coached the backline and junior goalkeeper Kris Shakes to four-straight shutouts to raise both trophies in Happy Valley. Penn State’s 7-0 goal margin in the Big Ten Tournament was the largest margin in tournament history. The Nittany Lions’ 3-0 shutout of Indiana in the championship match also marked the first time since 2008 a team has shut out the Hoosiers in a conference tournament.


Long also assisted backline veteran Brandon Hackenberg to his third-straight first team All-Big Ten honor, the first Nittany Lion defender to ever garner three first-team nods in his career.


In his first season with the Nittany Lions, Long guided sophomore goalkeeper Kris Shakes to a second team All-Big Ten honor and a Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week nod during the unprecedented spring 2021 season. Shakes held a 0.96 goals-against average during conference play with a .793 save percentage, along with three clean sheets. He finished with the second-best save percentage in the league and one that stood top 50 nationally.


Long also assisted in backline leader Brandon Hackenberg’s second-straight first team All-Big Ten plaudit, and helped coach and develop two Third Team All-Americans in 2020-21 in midfielder Pierre Reedy and forward Danny Bloyou.


Long matriculated to Penn State from Oregon State where he was an assistant coach for the Beavers during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Beavers finished back-to-back seasons with Long on staff with winning records for the first time since 2002-03.


He managed all aspects of goalkeeping at Oregon State and helped the defensive unit by planning and executing training curriculum. The Beavers posted four shutouts during the 2018 season with a 1.12 goals against average. The defense had five shutouts and a 1.14 goals against average in 2019.


Long also assisted in the development of three first team Pac-12 All-Conference players in 2019, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2018, and two 2018 MLS SuperDraft picks.


Prior to Oregon State, Long spent the 2017 season as an assistant coach at Otterbein University in Ohio. The Cardinals finished the season ranked 11th nationally in NCAA Division III, riding a 17-game win streak to finish with a 19-3 record.


Long coached the goalkeepers and the defense to 11 shutouts in 2017 and a 0.82 goals against average on the year. He helped develop one All-American, four all-region players, the OAC Defender of the Year, seven all-conference honorees, and six All-Ohio Team players.


The Cardinals were the OAC Tournament Champions and finished conference play with an undefeated record. The Otterbein staff was named the Great Lakes Regional Staff of the Year while leading the team to a NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance.


Long also had coaching stops at his alma mater, Cal State Stanislaus, as the women's soccer assistant coach, UC-Merced as an assistant men's soccer coach, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as an assistant/interim head men's soccer coach.


As a student-athlete, Long played at California State University Stanislaus from 2012-14. He was a three-time team captain, leading the Warriors to a 2012 CCAA Championship, the first and only in school history, as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. Long was also the 2012 Cal State Stanislaus Newcomer of the Year.


Long totaled 5,096 minutes as the Warriors' goalkeeper, second most in program history. He held a career .788 save percentage and posted 14 shutouts from 2012-14, both second most in the school record books. Long also holds the Cal State Stanislaus single-season records for goals against average (0.83) and saves (98) as well as the record for career wins in net with 26.


He also spent two seasons at Oregon State as a goalkeeper.


After college he had playing stints for PDL clubs Midland Odessa Sockers and Fresno Fuego before advancing to the USL with the Sacramento Republic.


Long earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Cal State Stanislaus in 2014.


Long and his wife, Allison, reside in State College.

show more

College Bound Athletes

Showcase Tips

Are you ready for your next college showcase?
The site was a great resource to sort colleges by my selection criteria, connect with coaches and be a repository for all of my communications. Overall, the best site that I used in my college soccer search.
- Kiera LoftusWhat are others saying?