April 27, 2012
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By Miquel Jacobs
Assistant Media Relations Director
COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith has announced the addition of Libby Bassett as an assistant coach to her staff, effective May 1. Bassett joins the Gamecocks after one year at Dartmouth College and will train the goalkeepers. She replaces Mat Cosgriff who was hired as the first assistant at Washington State University.
“I am extremely excited to join the USC soccer family and continue to build on the tradition of excellence that Shelley and Jamie have been developing over the years with such determined and talented student athletes,” Basset said.
“We are thrilled to be welcoming Libby Bassett to our soccer program as a tremendous addition to our coaching staff,” Smith said of the hiring. “She brings a wealth of college playing, coaching and recruiting experience, and has played with and trained high level goalkeepers. We feel confident that she will continue to challenge and improve our talented group of goalkeepers that we have here. Her ideas and values fit well with what we strive for in our Gamecock soccer family, and I know she will have a truly positive effect on the entire program. With her prior experience and the hard work she puts into community outreach, many will benefit from what she will bring as a member of Carolina Athletics.”
Bassett comes to Columbia after stops at Dartmouth, California, Saint Mary’s and her alma mater, San Diego. Prior to joining Dartmouth in 2011, Bassett spent two seasons as the goalkeeper coach at California in addition to working as site director and coach for the Seattle Sounders FC. She helped lead the Golden Bears to NCAA Tournament appearances in both of her seasons in Berkeley while serving as recruiting coordinator and camp director.
During her time at Cal, Bassett played professionally in the Icelandic Premier League for Afturelding from May 2010 through July 2010 alongside former Gamecocks Ashley Kirk and Samantha Diaz-Matosas. From October 2010 through January 2011, she was also a goalkeeping coach and evaluator for US Soccer, planning sessions and training the top youth goalkeepers for the US Soccer market training programs. She also worked on the 2009 Region IV ODP camp staff in Moscow, Idaho, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Prior to California, Bassett worked at Saint Mary’s in 2008 where she served as the primary goalkeeper coach and planned and conducted all goalkeeping trainings. In her year with the Gaels, she garnered experience assisting in planning and implementing of training sessions, recruiting top athletes, breaking down and analyzing game film in addition to other soccer operations.
Bassett began her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater, San Diego, for the 2007 season. At USD, Bassett served as the goalkeeper coach and coached current Western New York Flash player Brittany Cameron to an All-WCC season as a junior en route to leading the Toreros to a program-best 15-3-3 record and 11-game unbeaten streak. The Toreros also earned a program-best 11 shutouts on the season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Bassett played at USD from 2000-2003 and led the Toreros to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, becoming just the second senior class to accomplish the feat at USD. The 2003 MVP of her squad, she set and still holds the San Diego single-season records for shots faced (261) and saves (94) in a year that saw her post eight shutouts and a team league-leading 0.96 goals-against average. For her efforts, she was an All-WCC honorable mention and WCC Scholar Athlete selection.
While at USD, Bassett also attended a U.S. Under-21 National Team training camp. In 2003 and 2005, Bassett trained with Italian Serie A teams ACF Milan and Fiammamonza, respectively.
Bassett graduated Magna Cum Laude from USD with a bachelor’s in history in 2004. She earned her a master’s in international cooperation and development from the University of Pavia, Istituto Universitario Degli Studi Superiori in Pavia, Italy, in 2007.
