Cook is entering her sixth year on the Penn State coaching staff
"Ann's passion and excitement for the game, along with her ability to develop and relate to the players, are all reasons why she is considered to be one of the top assistant coaches in the college game. As a former player in the WUSA, she will help to create a professional training environment of the highest standard. Ann's primary focus will be on the attacking aspects of coaching as well as putting together an overall comprehensive program for student-athlete development."
Nittany Lion Head Coach Erica Walsh
Ann Cook is entering her sixth season with the Nittany Lions after helping guide them to their 14th-straight Big Ten title, a women's athletic record in the conference. This will also be the sixth season Cook will be coaching under former teammate and friend Erica Walsh. The two combined for many wins on the field at William & Mary and have already shown their prowess on the sidelines together as they led the squad to four consecutive Big Ten titles.
For the sixth consecutive year, Cook traveled to Nicaragua with an organization called Soccer Without Borders, bringing along a few Nittany Lions in the process to help out. The organization focuses on using soccer as a tool for youth development around the world. The Nittany Lion players helped collect numerous pairs of shoes prior to Cook's departure and accounted for about 50 young girls in Nicaragua getting new shoes and a new appreciation for soccer.
Prior to PSU, Cook was an assistant coach at Nebraska, for two seasons. Cook was responsible for numerous tasks while at Nebraska including individual and team training, recruiting, video analysis and scheduling. She also worked closely as the staff's liaison to the Huskers' athletic support staff.
During her tenure at Missouri State from 2004-05, she handled training, recruiting and team travel duties as well as supervising the strength and conditioning program. The head coach at Drury University from 1999-2000, her squad ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division-II poll among new programs in 1999.
A three-time All-American, Cook played for William & Mary from 1993-97, medically redshirting during the 1996 campaign. In the mix for the Hermann Trophy as well as the M.A.C. Player of the Year Award in both 1995 and 1997, she was the 1997 CAA Conference Player of the Year and CAA Conference Tournament MVP. The Tribe made appearances in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals two of Cook's four seasons, grabbing a bid for the Tournament each year and concluding the seasons ranked in the top five.
Active with the U.S. National Team programs, she was a member of the U.S. Under-20 team from 1994-95 and played with the full national team in 1998.
Professionally, Cook was a fourth-round draft pick (25th overall in the global draft) by the Bay Area CyberRays in 2000. A member of the team that won the WUSA's inaugural season championship in 2001, she was traded in December of that year to the Washington Freedom, which eventually finished as the 2002 league runners-up. Cook picked up coaching full time when the WUSA folded after the 2003 season.
As a member of the W-League's Chicago Cobras from 1998-2000, she was the championship MVP in 2000 after helping the team to a league championship. In 1999, her team finished as the league runners-up.
