DePaul women’s soccer head coach Erin Chastain has accepted the head coaching position at the University of Minnesota, her alma mater, the athletic department announced on Friday. For the time being, associate head coach Michele O’Brien will serve as interim head coach, effective immediately. 

Chastain has agreed to a five-year contract, pending the completion of a background check, according to a release from Minnesota. 

“Erin has elevated our women’s soccer program to national prominence over the last fourteen seasons and I couldn’t be more thankful for her contributions,” DePaul athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in a statement. “She’s been a phenomenal ambassador for DePaul Athletics, on and off the field. Erin will always be a part of our Blue Demon family and we wish her the very best as she returns to her alma mater. We will conduct a national search beginning immediately for our next head coach.”

Chastain spent 14 years as DePaul’s head coach, which is the most in program history. She has compiled over 100 wins during that time, and guided the Blue Demons to two Big East regular season titles (2014 and 2016), one Big East tournament championship (2014) and earned two NCAA Tournament berths (2013 and 2014). 

She was also named Big East Coach of the Year in 2014 as the Blue Demons set a program-best 16-1-4 overall record. 

“I could not be more excited to be named head coach of the Minnesota soccer program,” Chastain said in a statement to Minnesota. “I am so thankful to President Joan Gabel, director of athletics Mark Coyle, senior associate athletics director Tom McGinnis and the entire search committee for believing in me and trusting me to lead my alma mater. 

“The University of Minnesota is a world-class institution, and I was so fortunate to be a Gopher student-athlete. This program and the entire state of Minnesota mean so much to me, so this really is a dream opportunity for me and my family. I can’t wait to meet the team and look forward to getting to work.”

During her time at DePaul, Chastain developed five conference players of the year. She has also seen several of her players make it professionally, including in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Chastain was previously an assistant coach at Santa Clara for five seasons before coming coming to DePaul, reaching the NCAA championship game in 2002, the semifinals in 2004 and the quarterfinals in 2005. Before coaching at Santa Clara, she spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Northwestern. 

In her college playing days, Chastain (then Hussey) was a four-year starter at Minnesota from 1993-96 and also a three-year captain. She played in all 82 matches during her career and ranks seventh in program history in points (83), eighth in goals (29), tied for seventh in assists (25), tied for sixth in game-winning goals (10) and tied for tenth in shots (178)

DePaul will begin a national search for a new head coach immediately, according to the athletic department.