After playing at UMass Amherst from 2005-2008, Tony Bassett transitioned to coaching the game, spending two seasons as an assistant with the University of New Hampshire men's soccer program. In his final season at UNH (2013), the Wildcats finished 12-5-1 and advanced to the semifinals of the America East Tournament, but eventually fell to Hartford in penalty kicks. While at UNH, Bassett helped mentor four NSCAA All-Northeast Region Team players, six America East All-Conference selections, four All-Rookie players and three All-Academic picks, in addition to the 2013 America East Goalkeeper of the Year.

In 2024, Tony will enter his eleventh season with URI Men's Soccer and sixth as the Associate Head Coach. Bassett immediately established his value to the program during his first season in Kingston, helping URI to a historic Atlantic 10 regular season title after going winless in the A-10 conference the season before. Since joining Coach Elliott’s staff in 2014, URI has gone 82-47-14 overall. Bassett has played an integral part in the team winning two Atlantic 10 Championships, two Atlantic 10 Regular Season titles, and achieving back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019.

A four-year member of the UMass men's soccer team, Bassett saw action in 61 games for the Minutemen - as both a central midfielder and a left back - from 2005-08. In 2006, the Minutemen were ranked as high as 22nd nationally. The following season, they captured the Atlantic 10 Championship and made a historic run to the College Cup in Cary, N.C. Massachusetts finished the 2007 campaign ranked fourth in the country. Despite battling injuries during his senior season (2008), Bassett moved to the left back position and helped lead UMass to the program's first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.