Scott Rissler

Scott Rissler is in his second season on the BGSU women's soccer staff. Rissler, who joined the Falcons early in 2020, serves as the team's goalkeeper coach as well as the camp director.

Rissler was hired by head coach Jimmy Walker in time for Walker's first season at the helm of the Falcons. Walker and Company took over a team that had won two consecutive MAC titles. The new coaches, at the helm of a program that was expected by many observers to win yet another title, barely had time to get to know their new team before everyone’s world changed due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.

But, when all was said and done, a season that was unlike any other ended just as the previous two seasons had ended – with BGSU capturing the MAC championship. The Falcons posted a 6-1-1 overall record and a 5-1-0 mark in MAC regular-season play in the spring of 2021, and BG downed Ball State in the conference championship.

The Falcons outscored opponents, 17-3, and all 11 starters return in the fall of 2021. The returning players accounted for all 17 of the goals and 10 of the team’s 11 assists in the spring. Nikki Cox and Madi Wolfbauer were named to both the All-MAC First Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team in 2020(-21). Lili Berg, Jasmijn Dijsselhof and Audrey Shea each earned All-MAC honors as well, while Berg and Kennedy White also represented the Falcons on the all-region squad.

Under Rissler's mentorship, Berg and the BGSU defensive corps helped the Falcons tie for first in the entire nation in shutout percentage (.750), with six shutouts in the eight matches. At the other end of the pitch, Wolfbauer led a balanced scoring attack with five goals.

In the classroom, a school-record 17 Falcons were named to the Academic All-MAC Team, and BGSU had an eye-popping 3.806 team GPA in the spring 2021 semester.

A native of York, Pa., Rissler played club ball for FC York beginning at age 14 before embarking upon a standout career at Red Lion High School. He played three seasons of high-school ball, before playing for the DC United MLS Academy team during his senior season. He also played two years of varsity baseball at Red Lion.

Rissler, who was the starting goalkeeper during each of his three years on the high school team, was the only junior goalkeeper named to the all-state team by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association in 2013, and was one of 21 players in the state named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com All-America Preseason Watch list in the fall of 2014.

A graduate of Duquesne University, Rissler studied forensic science while spending five seasons on the men's soccer team for the Dukes. He earned a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 2019, and went on to earn a Master's degree in forensic science and law in 2020. Rissler graduated Magna Cum Laude from DU.

Rissler's coaching experience includes working with the Duquesne goalkeepers in the spring of 2020. He also coaches an '07 girls team at Pacesetter Soccer Club in Sylvania, and has worked summer camps both at Duquesne and with DC United.

Rissler has an 11v11 Grassroots coaching license as a 7v7 grassroots license through US Soccer, along with a Level 1 GK License through United Soccer Coaches.