FSU sports information:
The Florida State soccer team has named Erwin van Bennekom as its newest assistant coach, joining reigning ACC champion head coach Brian Pensky, associate head coach Bobby Shuttleworth and assistant coach Micah Bledsoe for the 2025 season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Erwin, his wife Kim, and their son Jackson to FSU,” Pensky said. “Erwin is known nationally as one of the great minds in the women’s game, as well as an outstanding teacher of the game. He will fit in seamlessly with Bobby and Micah based on his ability to help our players develop and help our players win championships. Our jobs are to serve our players and to do so at the very highest level. I continue to be confident that our current and future student-athletes will receive that level of excellence from this staff.”
Van Bennekom joins the Seminoles following a six-year head coaching stint at Indiana, accumulating a 44-39-20 record and leading the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade in 2023. He coached 10 All-Big Ten honorees, six honorees on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, and the 2023 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Jamie Gerstenberg.
“I want to thank Brian Pensky for this opportunity. I’m excited to join the FSU soccer staff and work alongside Brian, Bobby, and Micah,” said van Bennekom. “Over the last decade, FSU soccer has established itself as the top program in the country and the destination for the best players to develop. I’m thrilled to be part of that legacy and help create the best training and playing environment in college soccer.”
Prior to his time at Indiana, van Bennekom was an assistant coach at Duke from 2015-16 before being promoted to associate head coach from 2017-18. Duke performed well with his guidance, making two College Cup appearances and the program’s last National Championship appearance in 2015. The Blue Devils held a 68-17-11 record with van Bennekom and earned 17 All-ACC selections, nine NWSL draft picks, six United Soccer Coaches All-Americans, four ACC Player of the Year honors, and four Hermann Trophy semifinalists.
A native of the Netherlands, van Bennekom served two stints as an assistant coach at Sky Blue FC, now NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2013 and 2015, and was as an assistant coach at Alabama in 2014. He began his coaching career with NJIT as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011-13.
Van Bennekom began his coaching career after an impressive playing career that saw him compete in a variety of semi-professional leagues in the United States from 2006-09. He also played in the first division of the National Futsal League in Holland from 2002-04. Growing up, van Bennekom was a member of Holland’s youth academy system. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management at De Haagse Hogeschool.
The Florida State soccer team has named Erwin van Bennekom as its newest assistant coach, joining reigning ACC champion head coach Brian Pensky, associate head coach Bobby Shuttleworth and assistant coach Micah Bledsoe for the 2025 season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Erwin, his wife Kim, and their son Jackson to FSU,” Pensky said. “Erwin is known nationally as one of the great minds in the women’s game, as well as an outstanding teacher of the game. He will fit in seamlessly with Bobby and Micah based on his ability to help our players develop and help our players win championships. Our jobs are to serve our players and to do so at the very highest level. I continue to be confident that our current and future student-athletes will receive that level of excellence from this staff.”
Van Bennekom joins the Seminoles following a six-year head coaching stint at Indiana, accumulating a 44-39-20 record and leading the Hoosiers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade in 2023. He coached 10 All-Big Ten honorees, six honorees on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, and the 2023 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Jamie Gerstenberg.
“I want to thank Brian Pensky for this opportunity. I’m excited to join the FSU soccer staff and work alongside Brian, Bobby, and Micah,” said van Bennekom. “Over the last decade, FSU soccer has established itself as the top program in the country and the destination for the best players to develop. I’m thrilled to be part of that legacy and help create the best training and playing environment in college soccer.”
Prior to his time at Indiana, van Bennekom was an assistant coach at Duke from 2015-16 before being promoted to associate head coach from 2017-18. Duke performed well with his guidance, making two College Cup appearances and the program’s last National Championship appearance in 2015. The Blue Devils held a 68-17-11 record with van Bennekom and earned 17 All-ACC selections, nine NWSL draft picks, six United Soccer Coaches All-Americans, four ACC Player of the Year honors, and four Hermann Trophy semifinalists.
A native of the Netherlands, van Bennekom served two stints as an assistant coach at Sky Blue FC, now NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2013 and 2015, and was as an assistant coach at Alabama in 2014. He began his coaching career with NJIT as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011-13.
Van Bennekom began his coaching career after an impressive playing career that saw him compete in a variety of semi-professional leagues in the United States from 2006-09. He also played in the first division of the National Futsal League in Holland from 2002-04. Growing up, van Bennekom was a member of Holland’s youth academy system. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sports management at De Haagse Hogeschool.
