Ken Hassler is beginning his second season as head coach of the University of Montevallo men’s soccer program.

In his initial run, the Falcons finished 18-2-2 (.864) , won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship and not only earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament but hosted the Southeast Regional. The 18 wins matches a record for the program set in 2007 and set a record for highest winning percentage.

In just one season at the helm Hassler has guided five Falcons to All-Conference status, three Falcons to All-Region status and one All-American for on the field play. He also had six players named South Region Scholar Athletes and had one player named a Scholar All-American.

Hassler, the fourth coach in program history, brings 23 years of collegiate coaching experience with him to Montevallo. He was most recently the head coach at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, N.C. He guided the Falcons for six seasons and earned a top-10 ranking in the Southeast Region four of the six years. Last season he produced the fifth-ranked scoring offense in Division II as Pfeiffer scored 2.83 goals per game. Pfeiffer also had the 67th-ranked goals against average which helped them to a 13-5 record. He guided the team to wins over No. 1 ranked Lees-McRae and No. 11 ranked Anderson during the season.

Prior to his arrival at Pfeiffer the Falcons had only won 11 games in the previous two seasons combined. He helped guide the program to six-straight Conference Carolinas Tournaments and coached one All-American, seven All-Region and 21 All-Conference selections in that span.

Hassler spent 13 seasons as the head coach of Alfred University in Alfred, N.Y. from 1991-2003. He led the Saxons to the 2003 NCAA Tournament and was named the Empire Eight Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He also won the EEAC Conference Championship that season as well. In 2001 he won the EEAC Championship as well as being named the Coach of the Year. He guided the Saxons to a top-10 region ranking three of his final four seasons with the team. He is currently the All-Time Winningest Coach in Alfred University men’s soccer program history.

Prior to Alfred, Hassler spent one season as assistant coach at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. as well as one season at Plattsburgh State University in Plattsburgh, N.Y. His first head coaching job came in 1987 as the head coach at New England College in Henniker, N.H. He spent two seasons at the helm before leaving for PSU.

As a player, Hassler competed at Plymouth State College. He helped lead PSC to the 1982, 1983 and 1984 New England Championship. The Panthers advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1983 and they were an NCAA Quarterfinalist in 1982. He was named team captain for the 1984 squad and is a member of the Plymouth State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Hassler has his NSCAA Advanced National License and NSCAA National License and serves as an associate staff member to the NSCAA.

Hassler was a 1985 graduate of Plymouth State College with a bachelor of science in physical education. He received his master of science in physical education from Ithaca College in 1996.

Bruce Dietterle is entering his second season as the Falcons assistant coach.

Last season, he helped coach a team that won 18 games, won the PBC Tournament Championship and hosted the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Prior to UM Dietterle coached for three seasons at Pfeiffer University. He helped lead Pfeiffer to three consecutive Conference Carolinas Tournament appearances. He coached nine All-Conference players, five that were named All-Region, three that were honored as All-State and one that was heralded as an All-American. In his last season, he coached Pfeiffer to the fourth-ranked offense in Division II.

His tenure has seen him coach at many levels. He began as coach and site director with the Seacoast United Soccer Club in Hampton, New Hampshire in 2004 and did not give up that position until 2009. He added to that a two year stint as a volunteer with Newmarket Junior/Senior High School (2007-08). In the summers, he added to his growing soccer resume by coaching at summer camps at the University of New Hampshire (2007-2009). Since November 2009, he has been an assistant coach with the North Carolina Olympic Development Program and helped the team to a third place finish at the U.S. Nationals. Since August 2009, he has also been a youth coach with FC Carolina Alliance, a soccer club in Harrisburg North Carolina.

Dietterle is a 2006 graduate of Saint Anselm College with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.