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Wednesday, Jan. 15
The Indiana Daily Student

sports women's soccer

Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom announces resignation

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Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom has resigned to “pursue a different opportunity,” according to an Indiana Athletics press release Monday.  

"I want to thank Erwin and his staff for their tireless efforts to elevate the IU Women's Soccer program both within the Big Ten Conference and nationally," Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in the release. "I wish Erwin and Kim the very best in all of their future endeavors." 

Van Bennekom was named head coach at Indiana on Dec. 4, 2018, and spent six seasons with the Hoosiers where he had a 44-39-20 record. Van Bennekom took the Hoosiers to three Big Ten Tournament showings. Most recently, he coached the Hoosiers to a 6-9-2 record in 2024 and a 1-9-1 mark in Big Ten games. On Jan. 5, 2024, van Bennekom signed a contract extension that was set to run through 2029. 

In 2023, van Bennekom led Indiana to arguably its best season since 2013. The Hoosiers made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years and finished with a 12-4-4 record and Indiana reached the United Soccer Coaches Poll five times that season with its highest ranking coming at No. 17. The 12 wins set Indiana’s program record, previously set by van Bennekom in 2021 when the Hoosiers recorded nine overall wins. Indiana finished fifth in the Big Ten standings with 20 points in 2023, its best conference finish in program history.  

Before coaching at Indiana, van Bennekom served as an assistant women’s soccer coach under Robbie Church at Duke University from 2015-17 before he was promoted to associate head coach in 2018. Under van Bennekom, the Blue Devils went 68-17-11 and 29-6-5 in conference games.

Van Bennekom also coached the National Women’s Soccer League’s Sky Blue FC, University of Alabama, New Jersey Institute of Technology and played soccer at the semi-professional level from 2006-09 prior to beginning his coaching career.  

Associate head coach Tim Verschuren, who has spent four seasons with the Hoosiers, will now serve as Indiana’s interim head coach while Indiana conducts a national search for a new head coach. 

Prior to becoming the associate head coach for the Hoosiers, Verschuren was an assistant coach for Farleigh Dickinson University women’s soccer. In his two seasons with the Knights, Verschuren helped coach them to a 14-9-6 record and a Northeast conference championship game appearance in 2019.

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