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).