Ireland soccer star joins DePaul coaching staff

Michele O'Brien, a member of Ireland's National Team since 2003, has joined the DePaul women's soccer staff as an assistant coach.

"Michele will be an exceptional addition to our staff," said DePaul women's soccer coach Erin Chastain. "She has an outstanding playing background both in the United States and Internationally for Ireland and has been successful for many years as a coach at the Division I level.

"Hiring someone of Michele's background and experience is a huge step for our program and I couldn't be more excited."

In addition to her National Team experience with Ireland, O'Brien played the last seven seasons in the USL W-League and played in the United Kingdom for the Arsenal Ladies Football Club. Arsenal, the most successful team in the U.K., competed in world-class events such as the European Cup and FA Cup.

O'Brien served as an assistant coach at Columbia University from 2005-07 and was an assistant at New York University from 2004-05. She played collegiately at Florida International University from 1998-2001 and was a two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. O'Brien is FIU's all-time leader in shots (288), goals (58) and points (134) and is second in program history in assists (18).