Joe Kerwin, the former Oregon head coach who stepped down at NCAA Division II Notre Dame de Namur after two seasons this month, will return to the Ducks’ sideline for the 2010 season, the team has announced.

Kerwin led NDNU to a 16-6 record but resigned after a season in which his team had a late-season road trip cancelled due to faltering economic conditions.

“This decision really wasn’t about NDNU and their program,” Kerwin said in a news release. “Coaching those guys was great, and I have a great respect for the program that they have. Basically, I just wanted to come back to Eugene because of the city and the love I have for the university.”

Oregon co-head coaches Andrew Clough and John Wright jointly decided to step aside to make room for Kerwin, according to a team news release. The pair led the Ducks to an 11-7 record in 2009.

“I’m very proud of our accomplishments this year,” Clough said in a news release. “I am looking forward to seeing what this young team can do in the future.”