One of the nation’s premier recruiting coordinators and goalkeeping coaches, Tim Wassell returns to Happy Valley for his 15th season ahead of the 2024 campaign. Head Coach Erica Dambach named Wassell to the Nittany Lion coaching staff on June 2, 2010, and promoted him to Associate Head Coach in recognition of his stellar efforts on the pitch and recruiting trail on July 15, 2021.
Wassell has attracted nationally ranked recruiting classes to Happy Valley year after year, with six top-five classes since 2014 according to Top Drawer Soccer, including the top-ranked recruiting classes in the nation in both 2019 and 2022. Wassell’s reputation as one of the sport’s top recruiters, paired with the elite tactical and developmental staff in Happy Valley, routinely churns out some of the most successful professional prospects both in the NWSL and abroad.
Wassell’s track record of goalkeeper development was crucial in Penn State’s success in recent years, with veteran shot-stopper Katherine Asman blossoming into one of the top keepers in the nation under his watch. Asman managed to improve her win total in net each season of her collegiate career, finishing her five years as a player in Happy Valley with a career-best 0.64 goals-against average, the eighth-best GAA for a single-season in Nittany Lion women’s soccer history. Asman was an All-B1G keeper under Wassell’s watch and helped guide the Blue & White to at least the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament every year in which she was a regular starter. Additionally, 2022 transfer goalkeeper Morgan Messner cultivated her skills under Wassell’s leadership and leveraged her Penn State experience to kick off a career in the NWSL with San Diego Wave FC in the spring of 2024.
Under Wassell's guidance, Amanda Dennis and Rose Chandler achieved great success at Penn State and at the national level as well, as both goalkeepers saw extensive time with the U.S. Women’s National Team program. Dennis entered 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. Thanks to Wassell’s tutelage, Dennis was able to collect multiple awards and honors, including recognition as the 2016 Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team goalkeeper.
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.
Due in large part to exceptional goalkeeping, 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 just 14 goals on the year and posted a goals-against average of 0.51, the third-best mark in program history. PSU’s 15 shutouts in 2015 tied the second-best performance in school history alongside the 2004 season. 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 matches.
Another highly decorated student-athlete at Penn State, goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom, under the tutelage of Wassell, was a major catalyst in the success of the Nittany Lions. Eckerstrom finished her Nittany Lion career with 61 wins, the second most by a Nittany Lion keeper in a career. Her 255 saves rank fifth in the Nittany Lion record book, her save percentage of .804 ranks sixth and her 6,957 minutes in net are fourth-most 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.
Wassell’s work and development of goalkeeper Erin McNulty was pivotal to PSU’s historic run of results in the early 2010’s, highlighted by the first run to the National Championship match in Penn State program history at the 2012 NCAA Women’s College Cup. McNulty churned out 94 saves in addition to a 1.04 goals-against average in the Nittany Lions’ National Runner-Up journey. Wassell coached McNulty to a pair of All-Big Ten accolades during her time with the Blue & White, booking back-to-back selections to the Second Team in 2011 and 2012.
Wassell joined Penn State ahead of the 2010 season after a successful stint at the Penn State Altoona campus. Over his three seasons at the helm of the PSU Altoona women’s program, Wassell led the the team to a 48-11-5 overall record while 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. Wassell's defense-oriented teams posted 39 shutouts in 64 games as the squad set new marks for wins in every year of his tenure with 13, 17, and 18, respectively. During the 2008 campaign, his Altoona team posted the third-best goals against average in Division III at 0.34.
Eighteen student-athletes earned All-AMCC honors and 24 were named to the Academic All-AMCC team during his three-year stint as head coach. Additionally, Wassell's student-athletes collected three NSCAA Great Lakes All-Region selections, including the only freshman on the first or second team in 2008. The team earned a bid to the 2008 NCAA Division III Tournament, falling 1-0 to Otterbein. During that season, PSU Altoona went without a loss in the regular season.
Prior to taking the reins at Penn State 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 top 25 nationally in GAA with a 0.63 average.
As a student-athlete and goalkeeper at PSU Altoona, Wassell was a two-time NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region selection in 2004 and 2005 and a two-time All-AMCC First Team selection as well. He was named the 2005 PSU Altoona Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was the AMCC Preseason Player of the Year in 2005. In both 2004 and 2005, Wassell led the AMCC in save percentage, shutouts and GAA, completing his two-year tenure between the pipes with a school-record 0.71 GAA.
A highlight to his success at PSU Altoona was a 641-minute shutout streak during the 2004 season, which ranks in the top 15 in Division III history. Wassell was an accomplished student with two Academic All-AMCC honors, a spot on the PSU 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 with an NCAA Final Four appearance in 2000.
Wassell, a native of Holidaysburg, Pennsylvania, earned his bachelor's degree in business at PSU Altoona. He also has gained NSCAA National and Goalkeeping Coaching Diplomas during his coaching career.