Brandi Chastain

Brandi Chastain

  • Title:
    Volunteer Assistant Coach
  • Phone:
    408-554-5384
  • Email:
    brandi6c@gmail.com
  • Year:
    11th Year
  • College:
    Santa Clara '91

Brandi Chastain, a former Bronco All-American and assistant coach, returned to the Broncos full-time for the 2010 season as a volunteer assistant coach and finished her 10th season in 2019.

A two-time All-American, Chastain played a major role ontheBroncos' 1989 and '90 national semifinal teams and graduatedfromSCU in 1991. She then went on to international fame by helpingtheU.S. National Team win the inaugural Women's World Cup, bringhomethe first-ever Olympic women's soccer gold medal and captureasecond World Cup in dramatic fashion. Chastain iscurrentlypreparing for a third World Cup appearance this fall.

The San Jose native attended the University of Californiain1986, earning All-America honors as a forward while beingnamedSoccer America's Freshman of the Year after notching a15-goalseason. She sat out the next two seasons, after havingACLreconstruction surgeries on both knees. Chastain transferredtoSanta Clara for her final two seasons. In 1989, she led the teamtoits first-ever postseason appearance, scoring 10 goals andleadingthe Broncos into the national semifinals and a final rankingof No.3 in the nation.

BrandiChastainscored with decisive penalty kick in the 1999 World CupChampionshipmatch.

In 1990, she scored 22 goals and 50 points as theBroncosrecorded an 18-1-1 record and the nation's top ranking.Chastainwas named the ISAA National Collegiate Player of the Year,and wasamong the nation's leading goal scorers. Santa Clara enteredthenational semifinals for the second consecutive year, this timeasthe nation's only undefeated squad. She concluded her SCU careerasthe Broncos' third all-time leading goal scorer and currentlyrankseighth on that list. Chastain's prep career took placeatArchbishop Mitty in San Jose, where she led the team tothreeconsecutive state championships.

Chastain made her first appearance with the U.S. National Teamin1986, and was a member of the Women's World Cup Championshipsquadin 1991. In qualifying rounds that year, Chastain scoredfiveconsecutive goals for the United States in a match vs.Mexico,still a team record.

Though she played professionally in Japan in 1993 withtheShiroki Serena team, earning team MVP honors and becoming theonlyforeigner to be selected as one of the league's top 11 playersthatseason, Chastain remained a prominent figure in U.S.Soccer,playing on the gold-medal-winning West team at the 1993OlympicSports Festival. Additionally, she competed along withformerBronco teammates Tamie Batista and Linda Tanner on theSacramentoStorm semi-pro team, winning the 1997 WesternRegionalChampionship.

Chastain's biggest feats, however, were still to come.Shereturned to action with the U.S. National Team after athree-yearhiatus, made the squad, earned a starting spot as adefender, andbrought home Olympic gold as the U.S. Team claimed tophonors inthe first Olympic women's soccer competition at the 1996SummerGames in Atlanta. Chastain made Olympic history in poolplayagainst Denmark, earning an assist in the first-ever women'ssoccergoal. Additionally, she started and played every minute oftheUSA's five matches.

In the summer of 1999, Chastain helped lead the United Statestoits second Women's World Cup title as she scored thedecisivepenalty kick against China in the championship match. Itprovidedone of the greatest moments in the history of women'ssports, asshe peeled her jersey off in celebration following herwinningkick. She went on to play her 100th career game for the USAagainstBrazil in the semifinal of the World Cup, and won a silvermedal at2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She now has more than150 capswith the National Team.

Chastain entered the collegiate coaching ranks as afull-timeassistant coach for the Broncos in 1994, helping to extendtheBroncos' string of NCAA tournament appearances to 12 in arow,including a fourth consecutive trip to the national semifinalsin1999. She remained an assistant coach through the 2000season.

She was named one of People Magazine's 25MostIntriguing People of 1999, while also being listed as oneofStreet & Smith's 100 Most Powerful People inSportsfor that year. She has appeared on the `Late Show withDavidLetterman' and `Jeopardy', while also throwing out the firstpitchat Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field.

She received a degree in Communication from Santa Clara in 1991.

Chastain resides in San Jose with her husband, Santa Claraheadcoach Jerry Smith, and their son Jaden.