One of the nation's rising coaching stars, Nick Zimmerman, was named the Gators head soccer coach on December 5, 2025. .
Zimmerman returns to his home state after engineering a remarkable rise at Mississippi State. In just one season as the Bulldogs' head coach, he steered MSU to the NCAA Tournament and made national noise with three top-10 victories in 2025—highlighted by a thrilling 3–2 upset of No. 1 Tennessee.
His impact in Starkville began long before his head coaching promotion. Joining the program in 2019, Zimmerman helped transform MSU from a team with a limited postseason history into a consistent national contender. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs earned four straight NCAA Tournament berths, six SEC Tournament appearances and captured the program's first-ever SEC regular-season championship with a perfect 10–0 record in 2024.
A relentless recruiter, Zimmerman also elevated MSU's talent pipeline. Mississippi State had never cracked TopDrawerSoccer's top-50 recruiting rankings before his arrival; under his leadership, the Bulldogs earned recognition four times beginning in 2020.
A Sunshine State product, Zimmerman starred at James Madison before embarking on a professional career and ultimately moving into collegiate coaching.
Zimmerman becomes the fourth head coach in Florida soccer history and will lead the Gators into their 32nd season in fall 2026.
They Said:
"Florida is a place where championships are possible, and I'm excited for the opportunity to help lead this program back to the NCAA Tournament. This is a dream position for me. The University of Florida offers everything that resonates with top recruits—an elite athletic department, world-class facilities and support along with a top-10 academic experience.
"We're going to establish a clear vision and an attack-minded identity from day one, and we'll train it with purpose every single day. There is tremendous potential within this Gators roster, and I can't wait to get to Gainesville, meet the team, and begin building toward the goals we'll set together. Go Gators!"
Florida Soccer Head Coach Nick Zimmerman
"Nick is a proven builder of winning programs. His results are not accidental—he recruits at a high level, develops talent, and instills a standard that produces sustained success. He's equally committed to developing young women as competitors and leaders, and that commitment shows up in how his teams train, compete, and grow over time. Florida Soccer expects to compete for championships and Nick embraces that expectation. His vision, discipline and competitive DNA make him the right leader for this moment in our program. We're excited to welcome Nick and Massey to the Gator Family and get to work."
Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin
Florida soccer coach Nick Zimmerman
Zimmerman's Coaching Career: At Mississippi State:
Zimmerman was elevated to head coach in December of 2024 after serving as associate head coach since 2022. He joined the Bulldog staff as an assistant coach for the 2019 season. MSU rise in the conference and national rankings during Zimmerman's tenure was impressive
Program's first SEC regular-season title (2024) with a 10-0 record
Earned a berth in last four NCAA and six SEC Tournaments
Appeared in United Soccer Coaches national top-25 in the last four seasons (all-time high of No. 2 to close 2024 regular season). Prior to 2019, MSU ranked in top 25 for three weeks in the program's history
Three All-Americans
Eight with 11 United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors
13 with 21 All-SEC honors
Four with SEC Player of Year honors in last two seasons, including Ally Perry's selection as 2025 Midfielder of the Year
MSU was one of four programs in the nation in 2025 with three or more wins versus top-10 opponents - versus No. 1 Tennessee (Sept. 12 / 3-2), No. 4 Arkansas (Nov. 4 / 2-1) and No. 10 Wake Forest (Aug. 24 / 2-1).
In 2025, only 15 percent of NCAA Division I women's programs reached 12 or more wins. Among the coaches who guided their teams into that group, Zimmerman stands out as one of just three doing so in their very first year as a head coach.
As an assistant, Zimmerman worked with the forwards and midfielders. MSU never registered top 100 final rankings for total goals, assists and points until the last two seasons, with the Bulldogs leaping to 24th for goals, 25th for points and 28th for assists for the 2024 campaign.
At Columbus State:
Before arriving at Mississippi State, Zimmerman helped power one of the nation's most explosive offenses during his 2015–18 stint at Columbus State. Under his guidance, the Lady Cougars shattered program and national benchmarks—scoring a school-record 96 goals in 2016 and leading Division II with 4.0 goals per match, a mark they pushed even higher to 4.05 the following season. His tenure produced consistent championship success, including Peach Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles, as well as a run to the NCAA Division II national championship match.
Zimmerman's player development efforts were equally impactful. During his four seasons at CSU, he coached 31 Peach Belt All-Conference honorees, 23 Division II All-Region selections, 10 All-Americans, and six Scholar All-Americans. His mentorship also helped produce two NCAA Division II Elite 90 Award recipients and the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.
Beyond the college game, Zimmerman has contributed extensively to U.S. youth development pathways, working with Region II, U.S. Soccer's NTC, and ID2 US Club Soccer programming. He has staffed elite camps at the University of Virginia and Florida State, and served as head coach for the Georgia Girls ODP 2000 Team. A U.S. Soccer Federation coaching course instructor, Zimmerman has also held roles on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Ranking and Awards Board. He holds a USSF "B" License.
As a Player:
As a player, Zimmerman was a standout at James Madison University, earning All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rookie team recognition, two All-CAA selections, and one All-Region honor. He was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and later selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft. He played with Carolina Railhawks FC in the NASL, earning NASL Best XI honors in 2012 and finishing second in the Golden Boot race. His professional career concluded with the Wilmington Hammerheads in the USL in 2015.
Zimmerman is a product of Wharton High School in Tampa, Fla., where he earned all-state and all-county honors as a junior and senior. He finished high school career with Wharton records for season goals (20 in 2004), season assists (18 in 2002) and career goals (53).
Zimmerman and his wife, Massey, were married in summer of 2025.
Nick Zimmerman File
Birth Date
May, 3, 1987 in Providence, R.I.Considers Tampa, Fla., hometown.
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