Aileen Ascolese enters her fourth season as the head coach of the Ursinus College women's soccer program. She became the program's fourth head women’s soccer coach on March 14, 2017. 

“We are elated to bring a coach of Aileen’s caliber to Ursinus,” stated Ursinus College Director of Athletics Laura Moliken. “Her demonstrated track record of attracting and developing talented student-athletes, as well as her commitment to a balance between academics and athletics and success as both a coach and former player, stood out in an extremely talented applicant pool.”

In Ascolese's second season, the Bears finished with a winning record for the first time since 2015. She has coached six players to All-Centennial Conference selections. 

Before coming to Ursinus, Ascolese spent four years as head coach at Alfred University, where she developed four All-Empire 8 selections and recruited the school’s 2015-16 Outstanding First Year, a campus-wide award given to a first-year student-athlete. During the 2016 season, her last at the helm, Alfred registered the best winning percentage in school history with a 7-9-2 overall record.

Alfred’s women’s soccer program excelled in the classroom under Ascolese. Since taking over in the fall of 2013, the Saxons have produced 15 Empire 8 President’s List selections, which requires a term GPA of 3.75 or higher. The program has also received multiple NSCAA Team Academic Awards.

Prior to her time at Alfred, Ascolese spent two seasons (2011-12) as an assistant at Brandeis University, helping to guide the Judges to an overall record of 22-16-4 and an appearance in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Division III Championship. Ascolese was an assistant at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, acting as the team’s recruiting coordinator and coaching the Engineers in the non-traditional fall campaign. She was a graduate assistant at Elmira College from 2007 to 2008, serving as head junior varsity coach and as an interim head coach in 2008.  

Ascolese was a standout player at Division I Rider University, starting all four seasons and playing the role of team captain as a senior. She twice garnered NCAA National Student-Athlete Award recognition and was a three-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection. Ascolese ranks tenth all-time in Broncs history in assists.

Ascolese, who earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rider in 2006 and a master’s degree in general education from Elmira in 2009, holds a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) ‘B’ license, an NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and an NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma.

“I want to thank Laura Moliken and the search committee for the fantastic opportunity they have presented me with,” Ascolese said. “I could not be more excited to be named the next women’s soccer coach at Ursinus. The College, its athletic department, and the women’s soccer program have a rich tradition of success, and I am honored to be a part of our student-athletes’ experience. I am extremely grateful for the time I spent at Alfred and am looking forward to utilizing the tools and knowledge I gained there to take UC Women’s Soccer to the next level.”